[Anticomplementary activity of a polyanion: polyanion: pentosan-poly-sulfoester. I. "In vitro" study and "in vivo" trial in human glomerulonephritis (author's transl)].

The drug, pentosan-poly-sulfoester (PPS), has an anticomplementary activity (ACA) on human serum both in vitro and in vivo, as judged by a reduction in total hemolytic complement activity (CH 50). In vitro, this ACA is very potent, immediate and temperature independent. In vivo this ACA obtained with a IV dose of 100 mg per 8 hours eg 300 mg/24 h, increases with the duration of treatment (mean time:30 days), suggesting a cumulative effect. Eleven patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) received such a treatment (8 with acute post-streptococcal GN and 3 with mesangio-proliferative GN). In patients with already marked hypocomplementemia, the ACA is difficult to establish, while in patients with normal complement activity or moderate hypocomplementemia, the decrease of CH 50 level in serum is obvious. There was no significant change inthe serum level of C3, C4, properdin factor B as measured by radial immunodiffusion technique. The clinical course of these GN was apparently not affected by this treatment. Neverthless, the in vivo ACA of PPS is firmly established and we can speculate that this functional depletion in complement may prevent or decrease the liberation of humoral mediators of inflammation.