[Changes in rheological blood properties in patients with lupus nephritis and IgA-nephropathy]

To compare changes of hemorheological parameters in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and IgA-nephropathy (IgA-N).

Kinetics of spontaneous aggregation, disaggregation of red cells in shearing flow, red cell deformability were studied in 73 patients with LN including 6 patients with active LN with nephrotic syndrome, 38 patients with active LN with urinary syndrome, 29 with inactive LN; in 24 patients with a hematuric form of IgA-nephritis (IgA-N); in 24 healthy volunteers (controls).

Patients with LN and a hematuric form of IgA-H were found to have disorders of microrheological blood characteristics (accelerated formation of erythrocytic aggregates -EA of high density) depending on the form and activity of the disease. All LN and IgA-N patients exhibited increased time of "coin columbs" formation and accelerated aggregation. The largest EA were detected in IgA-H patients. Flow deformation ability of the red cells was poor in all the examinees. LN patients showed a positive correlation between maximal EA size and hematuria severity even in cases of trace proteinuria. A correlation was demonstrated in IgA-N patients between IgA level and EA density, between inhibition of GFR and erythrocytic deformability index.

The above findings show deteriorated process of aggregation-disaggregation resultant from deterioration of red cell physical properties. Severity of hemorheological disorders depends on LN activity. Hematuria associated with increased size of EA is an important marker of the disease activity Hemorheological disorders in patients with active LN and IgA-N are an additional pathogenetic component of hematuria.