Non-specific immunity in nephrotic syndrome.

In order to explain susceptibility to bacterial infection in patients with nephrotic syndrome, bactericidal capacity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and serum opsonic activity were studied. The groups consisted of 29 patients and 29 controls. Bactericidal capacity was found to be statistically significant defective in the patient group when compared with controls for Staphylococcus aureus and Excherichia coli. Serum opsinic activity was found to be defective in up to 50% of the patients, but it was not statistically significant for either bacteria. There is no correlation between the impairment of bactericidal capacity and serum total protein, albumin, globulin, total lipid, cholesterol, age of patients and the duration of the illness. When bactericidal capacity was examined in five patients in remission it had returned to the normal level. The results of this study suggest that bactericidal capacity and possibly serum opsonic activity are influenced by the nephrotic syndrome.