Urinary amino acid glycosides and oligosaccharides in health and disease.

Due to heterogeneity and lack of suitable fractionation techniques it is only recently that more detailed information about urinary low molecular weight carbohydrates has been obtained. Ingemar Berggård was one of the pioneers who opened up this field and outlined the directions towards fruitful progress. Today more than one hundred well characterized oligosaccharides and amino acid glycosides have been described. This review covers the latest development and discusses the mechanisms behind the urinary excretion.