Mrs Ann Corfe

Cancer Research fund scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat cancer sooner. They also provide cancer information to the public. Your donation will help our scientists get closer to finding a cure.

About Nephrotic Syndrome

If you’ve got Nephrotic Syndrome, the filters in one or both of your kidneys are ‘leaky’ which results in the transfer of protein from your blood to your urine. Normally, urine doesn’t contain any protein but people with NS develop Ôproteinuria’ which simply means there is protein in your pee. Your body knows there’s something wrong when it realises it’s peeing protein so it reacts by retaining water, which may lead to:

Developing an infection
Since you can lose antibodies (the good proteins which help you fight off infections) in your urine.

Developing thrombosis
This is a thickening or clotting of the blood vessels and is also common in people with NS since there may be a change in the balance of proteins in your blood that would normally prevent this happening
Having low levels of vitamin D: since there is a loss of vitamin D-binding proteins in the bloodstream.

Developing anaemia
Since the proteins that normally help to carry iron around your bloodstream are off doing other things. If left untreated, Nephrotic Syndrome can develop into kidney failure meaning you may need a kidney transplant. Transplants are normally successful but there is still a small chance that the condition could return. That’s why it’s so vital to help us find a cure.