Protein C activity in renal disease.

Protein C activity was determined in 19 healthy controls and in 52 patients with renal diseases, clinically divided into three groups I) Nephrotic syndrome, II) Renal insufficiency, III) Terminal uremia, requiring maintenance dialysis. In the nephrotic syndrome protein C levels were found to be normal, but in renal insufficiency and terminal uremia the protein C activity was significantly decreased. A correlation between decreasing protein C and progressive renal failure is suggested. The reduced protein C activity may play an important role in the thrombotic tendency seen in renal diseases and uremia.