[Cellular immunity in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome with minimal glomerular lesions and focal and segmental hyalinosis in children].

Cellular immunity was studied in 31 children presenting with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), of which 23 with minimal supposed or proven glomerular changes (MGC) and 8 with focal and segmental hyalinosis (FSH). In vivo, a clear hyporeactivity to the delayed hypersensitivity tests and decreased blood T lymphocytes, with a great dispersion of the values were found. Furthermore, such patients' sera display a factor inhibiting the proliferative response of the lymphocytes of patients and of control subjects, to non specific mitogens (PHA), both during exacerbation and remission periods. The hypotheses of an abnormality of cellular immunity and of the existence of an inhibitory factor in the serum of INS with MGC and FSH are discussed.