Relationship was assessed between the type of renal pathology and the degree of plasma protein and lipid abnormalities in 59 patients with nephrotic syndrome due to chronic glomerulonephritis (GN). All patients were divided into 5 subgroups according to the type of renal pathology (extracapillary proliferative GN--23, mesangioproliferative GN--18, membranous GN--5, minimal changes--5, other--8 patients) and according to the presence (22 patients) or absence (37 patients) of altered interstitium (inflammation and/or fibrosis). In all patients the following parameters were analyzed: plasma levels of creatinine, total cholesterol and lipids, triglycerides, total protein, electrophoretic fractions of plasma proteins and urinary protein excretion. Type of renal pathology as well as presence of interstitial lesion did not influence the degree of protein and lipid abnormalities in nephrotic patients. Significantly more marked (p < 0.05) abnormalities in the serum and lipid profile were found in patients in whom 76-100% of all glomeruli were abnormal than in patients with a lower percentage of damaged glomeruli.
Conclusion: Percentage of damaged glomeruli but not the type of renal pathology (glomerular or/and interstitial) are the main factors influencing the magnitude of abnormal serum protein and lipid profiles in nephrotic patients.