Pattern of interleukins in minimal-change nephrotic syndrome of childhood.

Assays of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-2 were done in supernatants from phytohaemagglutinin-activated lymphocyte cultures from 10 children suffering from minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) to assess their role in the aetiopathogenesis of this disorder. Increased levels of IL-1 and IL-2 had been found in supernatants from patients having MCNS compared with controls, suggesting a significant role of these cytokines in the immunopathogenesis of proteinuria in this syndrome.