Changes of physico-chemical characteristics of red blood cells in children with nephrotic syndrome.

Changes of milieu interieur in nephrotic syndrome (NS) have many consequences in various organs. We have measured the electrical charge of erythrocytes (Ery) with binding of alcian blue (AB) in 18 children with relapse of NS (12 minimal changes, 3 membranous and 3 mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis) and 15 healthy children. The most important finding was that the binding of AB to Ery in patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) and other aetiologies of NS was significantly less than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, we have studied the thermal denaturation of the Ery membranes by differential scanning microcalorimetry. In some children with NS we have seen the splitting of B transition. We suppose that these phenomena occur as the result of structural change, which may involve lipoprotein components of the cytoskeletal network.