Elevated plasma renin activity in patients with acute pyelonephritis.

Thirty-three patients with acute pyelonephritis were studied with regard to the changes in plasma renin activity (PRA) along the clinical course of the disease. 1) Abnormally high PRA was found in 64% of patients in the active stage of acute pyelonephritis; they showed a decrease in urinary output of sodium, a reduction in creatinine clearance, and high indices of inflammatory activity. 2) The changes of PRA in the course of acute pyelonephritis were negatively correlated to the urinary sodium excretion and creatinine clearance, but positively to the activity of inflammation, serum sodium concentration and the number of E. coli in the urine. PRA returned to normal with the improvement of pyelonephritis. 3) Concerning the mechanism of hyperreninemia in the active stage of the disease, the following three factors may be considered; renal ischemia, negative sodium balance in the body, and inflammation. Of these, the negative sodium balance seems to be the most important. The patients could not take enough foods to maintain their energy and sodium balance because of fever and pain. 4) The significance of resting PRA in acute pyelonephritis might be to reflect the sodium status in the body, but not to be related to hypertension.