title: High plasma levels of protein C activity and antigen in the nephrotic syndrome.
abstract: Low plasma levels of antithrombin III due to excessive urinary loss are thought to be the cause of thrombotic complications in patients with the nephrotic syndrome. To see whether protein C (PC), another antithrombotic protein, is also reduced in plasma by the same mechanism, plasma and urinary protein C were determined in 24 patients with nephrotic syndrome and no thrombotic complication, and compared to plasma and urinary antithrombin III. Twenty patients (83%) had high plasma levels of protein C activity (mean +/- SD 157 +/- 41 U/dl) and antigen (158 +/- 41). Even though measurable amounts of PC antigen were found in the urines of all but two patients the urinary loss of protein C relative to its plasma concentration was about 40 times lower than that of antithrombin III. High protein C might help to counteract hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine; D011486:Protein C; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D006023:Glycoproteins; D011486:Protein C; D000990:Antithrombin III