Antibody status in children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The pathophysiology of hypogammaglobulinemia in nephrotic syndrome (NS) remains unknown. We evaluated the differences in the distribution of anti-bacterial antibodies and anti-viral antibodies, and those of immune antibodies and natural antibodies in steroid-sensitive NS.


METHODS
We examined the antibody status of 18 children who had routine vaccinations. The levels of immnunoglobulin G (IgG), the IgG subclasses, and the antibodies induced by vaccinations such as diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus and measles-mumpsrubella were analyzed in children with steroid-sensitive NS.


RESULTS
There was a positive correlation between the albumin and IgG values (r = 0.6, p < 0.01), and the four IgG subclasses were all evenly depressed in the nephrotic children during the acute stage of the disease. The antibodies induced by bacterial antigens were depressed and the seropositivity of anti-viral antibodies tended to be lower than those of age-matched control children during the acute stage. The depressed immune antibody status recovered rapidly in the remission stage of NS, despite corticosteroid treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
IgG levels correlated positively with albumin levels, and all antibodies, including immune and natural antibodies, were depressed in the acute stage of NS. Our results suggest that hypogammaglobulinaemia in NS may be associated with intravascular homeostasis of oncotic pressure.
Han
Ji-Whan
JW
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Kyung-Yil
KY
Hwang
Ja-Young
JY
Koh
Dea-Kyun
DK
Lee
Joon-Sung
JS
D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013256:Steroids