What Causes Epithelial Cells in a Urinalysis?

Epithelial cells are protective or enclosing cells that line the interiors of hollow organs and glands, as well as the outer surface of the body. The presence of epithelials in a urinalysis has several potential underlying causes.

The Facts

• Urinalysis is a urine testing procedure that may include visual, chemical or microscopic examination of urine content, according to Lab Tests Online. If present, epithelial cells show up on a microscopic exam, which involves the inspection of urine sediment under a microscope.

Normal Findings

• Urine sediment commonly contains a small amount of epithelial cells from the bladder, Lab Tests Online reports. Small amounts of epithelials from the kidneys may also sometimes appear.

Kidney Injuries

• High amounts of kidney epithelial cells in a urinalysis may indicate some sort of injury to the tubules inside the kidneys, according to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Urinary Tract Injuries

• Infection, inflammation or malignancy (cancer) in the urinary tract will also trigger an increase in epithelial cells found in urine sediment, Lab Tests Online notes. Accurate identification of the epithelial cell type can help reveal the location of the urinary tract injury.

Considerations

• Proper urine sampling procedures tend to diminish the number of epithelial cells found in a urinalysis, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center reports.