PLATELET FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY GLOMERULONEPHRITIS AND ITS RELATION TO THE CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

Abstract

Several studies have suggested that platelets may have a pathogenic role in the induction of glomerular injury because the kidney has large endothelial surface area (Barnes 1984). In the current work, 50 patients with primary glomerulonephritis (37 patients presented by nephrotic and 13 presenteQ with nephritis) wen; investig< ted to study the value of assessment of platelet functions (platelet aggregation and platelet factor 4) in the prediction of the clinical course and outcome of such patients. Twenty five healthy subjects were also included in this study and were served as a control group. All patients and controls were subjected to thorough clinical and laboratory investigations including full history taking, physical examination, biochemical, hematological and homeostatic tests, in . addition to platelet function tests (platelet aggregation, PF4 level). The

histological diagnosis was made by renal biopsies that were examined by light and immunoflourescence microscopic examinations. Patients presented with nephrotic received steroids 1-1.5 mglkg/day and those who did not respond at 8-12 weeks were considered steroid insensitive, where we considered a red ction of proteinuria to less than 0.3gm per 24 hour as an indicator of steroid sensitivity.