A B S T R A C T Highly purified and radioiodinated hn:-man C4 and (or) C3 were administered to patients with renal allografts in rejection, with hereditary angioedema (HAE), with chronic glomerulonephritis, and to control subjects. The latter group included normal individuals, anephric patients before transplantation, and stable renal allograft recipients. The catabolic rates of these complement proteins were determined by analysis of the disappearance of plasma protein-bound radioactivity (km ), and by direct measurement of urinary excretion of radioactivity (k.). The correlation coefficient between these two methods was 0.96. The mean ±2 SD for catabolic rates in the control subjects was 0.9-2.7% plasma pool/hr for C4 and 0.9-2.0% plasma pool/ hr for C3. Patients experiencing renal allograft rejection had unstable levels of C4 and C3, and exhibited moderate hypercatabolism of both proteins. One patient with chronic glomerulonephritis had hypercatabolism of C4 and C3 in the presence of stable normal serum levels. In patients with HAE who had extremely low levels of C4, catabolic rates for C4 were markedly elevated (3.7, 5.8, 7.0 and 8.8%/hr). Analysis of plasma curves in HAE revealed a three component disappearance curve instead of the two component curve in control subjects receiving the same preparation. Even though C3 levels were normal, moderate hypercatabolism of C3 was also Dr.

No abstract

66 patients from 5 dialysis centers were surveyed for the prevalence of HBV markers. Their immune status was evaluated by studying parameters of cellular and humoral immunity. Results showed that all patients had depressed T cell numbers while B cell counts, IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and C₃ levels were normal. However, the group of patients who had persistent HBs antigenemia also had persistence of HBeAg, negative responsiveness to skin testing and high IgE levels. The group with HBsAb had negative reactions for skin testing, and the group with no HBV markers had no further abnormalities. These results suggest that the presence and type of HBV marker influences the immune pattern in the hemodialyzed patient.

No abstract

Treatment of membranous nephropathy and the nephrotic syndrome with 2 mg/kg/day of indomethacin resulted in prompt and sustained reduction in urinary protein excretion and the loss of edema fluid, which allowed the withdrawal of diuretic therapy and liberalization of salt intake. The reduction in proteinuria was paralleled by a decrease in urinary prostaglandin E (PGE) and F (PGF) levels. Plasma PGE and PGF levels did not change appreciably. Withdrawal of indomethacin therapy resulted in an increase in urinary protein and urinary PGE excretion. Reinstitution of therapy resulted in reductions in both values. Indomethacin may provide a useful means of reducing proteinuria and controlling edema in some patients with the nephrotic syndrome.