Plasma factor XIII levels in children with renal disease.

Plasma levels of coagulation factor XIII determined quantitatively were found to have a tendency to be decreased in more severely affected cases of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis and Henoch-Schönlein nephritis, and found to be decreased in patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and chronic renal failure in comparison with normal controls. It seems that the degree of decrease in factor XIII reflects the intensity of glomerular damage. In contrast, the patients with the nephrotic syndrome showed significant elevation of plasma factor XIII levels and it was closely correlated with the increase in serum triglycerides. The elevation of factor XIII levels in the nephrotic syndrome is suggested to be mainly attributed to enhanced protein synthesis in connection with urinary loss of proteins.