Abstract: Objective To explore the expression of urea transporters (UTs) in the skin and sweat glands of normal subjects and
patients with uremia. Methods Abdominal skin biopsy samples of patients with uremia and normal patients and apocrine
sweat gland tissue from patients with bromhidrosis were examined for the expression of UTs using immunohistochemistry
and fluorescence immunoassay for quantitative analysis. Results Both UT-A1 and UT-B1 proteins were expressed in the skin
basal cell layer, eccrine sweat gland and apocrine sweat gland tissues. In uremic patients, N-UT-A1 and UT-B1 expressions
were significantly higher than those in the control (P<0.05) but C-UT-A1 expression was similar (P>0.05). Conclusion UTs are
expressed in human skin basal cell layer, eccrine sweat gland and apocrine sweat gland tissues, and their expressions are
upregulated in uremic patients.