HEMOSTATIC MOLECULAR MARKERS IN NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Quantitative changes of hemostatic molecular markers were studied in patients with nephrotic syndrome. The plasma levels of fibrinopeptide A (FPA), thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), products of thrombin activation, and fragment F1 + 2 (F1 + 2), a product of prothrombin activation, were measured by enzyme immunoassay in 21 patients with nephrotic syndrome and in 16 normal controls. The mean value of FPA was 17.5 +/- 7.5 ng/ml(mean +/- SD) in nephrotic patients and 4.5 +/- 0.3 ng/ml in normal controls (P < 0.02); F1 + 2 concentration was 1.4 +/- 0.3 ng/ml in nephrotic patients and 0.5 +/- 0.1 ng/ml in normal controls (P < 0.001); TAT level was 1.0 +/- 0.3 mu g/l in nephrotic patients and 0.2 +/- 0.1 mu g/l in normal controls (P < 0.05). These data indicated intravascular hemostasis activation. Based on these results, we propose that low antithrombin III level in nephrotic patients may be due to both urinary loss and intravascular consumption. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.