Aldolase and adenosine deaminase activity in lymphocytes of patients with glomerulonephritis

Studies on the adenosine deaminase (ADA) and aldolase activities in lymphocytes were performed in 67 patients with glomerulonephritis (gn) and in 20 healthy individuals from the control group to get an insight into the lymphocyte metabolism. Statistically significant decrease of ADA activity was found in the groups of patients with chronic proliferative gn, membranoproliferative gn, membranous gn and lupus nephritis in comparison with the healthy individuals from the control group. As far as decrease of aldolase activity is concerned it has reached statistical significance in patients with mesangial gn, membranoproliferative gn, membranous gn and lupus nephritis. The lymphocyte metabolism did not show any abnormalities in the enzymatic indicators only in patients with acute proliferative gn and submicroscopic gn. The activity comparison between both enzymes in the lymphocytes, contrasted on the basis of high and low clinical dynamics of gn, revealed a tendency to lower ADA and aldolase activities in patients with high clinical dynamics. However, this difference was at the limit of statistical significance (p less than or equal to 0.10).