Activity of helix: destabilizing protein in lymphocytes of patients with glomerulopathies and with chronic renal insufficiency.

The aim of this work was to determine the activity of helix-destabilizing protein (HD-protein), which is indispensable in basic genetic processes such as DNA replication, genetic recombination and transcription, in lymphocytes of patients with different morphological types of glomerulonephritis and with chronic renal insufficiency, treated conservatively and by maintenance hemodialysis. The estimation was done on 44 patients with glomerulonephritis and on 20 patients with chronic renal insufficiency. The control group consisted of 20 healthy individuals. The investigations prove the fact that in human lymphocytes helix-destabilizing protein occurs, and its quantity enables us to determine its activity in the diseased and healthy state. Measurement of HD-protein activity seems to be a good marker of the altered lymphocyte function. Especially high HD-protein activity was noticed in cases of acute glomerulonephritis, lupus glomerulonephritis and in the active forms of chronic glomerulopathies. Generally, the tested parameter showed a positive correlation with the activity of the glomerulonephritic process. In lymphocytes of patients with chronic renal insufficiency treated conservatively, a greater activity of helix-destabilizing protein occurred than in the control group. Lymphocytes from patients with chronic renal insufficiency, treated with repetitive maintenance hemodialysis, did not reveal significant differences in HD-protein activity, determined directly before hemodialysis and after its completion, in comparison to the control group of healthy individuals.