ELEVATED PLASMA-LEVELS OF ACUTE-PHASE PROTEINS IN MESANGIOPROLIFERATIVE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS, MEMBRANOUS NEPHROPATHY AND IGA NEPHROPATHY

In order to study the possible role of active inflammatory processes i n clinical indolent primary chronic glomerulonephritides, plasma conce ntrations of the acute phase proteins: alpha(1)-antitrypsin, haptoglob in, orosomucoid and C-reactive protein were measured in 166 glomerulon ephritis patients. The patients had a diagnosis of either mesangioprol iferative glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy or immunoglobulin A nephropathy and were divided in two groups, one with heavy urinary albumin losses and one with moderate to slight urinary albumin excreti on. The median plasma concentration values for alpha(1)-antitrypsin, h aptoglobin and orosomucoid were increased in all three kinds of the in vestigated glomerulonephritides with exception for orosomucoid in pati ents with heavy urinary albumin losses and in the membranous nephropat hy group. The plasma concentration values for C-reactive protein were not elevated at all in the material. The increase of plasma levels of acute phase proteins could be the result of persistent inflammatory st imuli that occur in primary chronic glomerulonephritides. The finding of unchanging plasma levels of C-reactive protein in contrast to incre ased concentrations of the other acute phase proteins could be of sign ificance in diagnosing infections or other inflammatory diseases in pa tients with chronic glomerulonephritis.