[Plasma Lp(a) levels: a comparison between diabetic and nondiabetic patients with the nephrotic syndrome and control subjects].

The aim of this study was to evaluate Lp(a), total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo A and Apo B100 plasmatic concentrations in patients affected by nephrotic syndrome that is known able to increase the ratio of the risk of cerebral and cardiovascular events, in comparison with a group of healthy patients homologous for sex and age. In the group of patients with nephrotic syndrome we have compared the variables between diabetic mellitus type I patients and non diabetic patients. All the variables, in exception of HDL cholesterol, were significantly increased in the group of patients with nephrotic syndrome compared with the control group. HDL-cholesterol concentration was significantly higher in controls than in nephrotic patients. Diabetic and nephrotic patients showed increased levels of Lp(a) concentration than non diabetic patients and the difference was statistically confirmed. These data suggest that Lp(a) acts really like a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease, being elevated in patients characterized for increased risk for cerebral and cardiovascular events because of the presence of nephrotic syndrome. Moreover we can suppose that elevated plasmatic Lp(a) levels in nephrotic patients could be linked to increased synthesis of proteins in the liver as physiological reaction to severe proteinuria.