Lymphocyte blastogenesis in nephrotic syndrome.

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome showed inhibition of the blastogenic response to PHA-P when incubated in the presence of autologous serum. Inhibition was also evident when patients' cells were incubated with normal human serum or when normal cells were incubated with patients' serum. This inhibition was not seen when the patients were in remission. In experimental nephrosis in rats induced by a single injection of the aminonucleoside of puromycin, a similar pattern of lymphoblastogenic inhibition was seen. Thus human steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome and experimental nephrosis both show similar disturbances of lymphocyte responsiveness to mitogenic stimulation.