[Chromosome aberration levels and their dynamics during the treatment with cytotoxic preparations of patients with primary and lupus glomerulonephritis].

As many as 96 patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and 25 with lupus glomerulonephritis (LGN) were examined for chromosomal aberrations (CA) in peripheral blood lymphocytes in different clinical variants and morphological forms of CGN and LGN as well as for their dynamics under the influence of cytotoxic drugs. In patients with active CGN and LGN, chromosomal instability may develop. The treatment with cyclophosphamide in a dose of 2.0-2.5 mg/kg/day appreciably increases chromosomal instability the level of which rises progressively with the treatment period increase. The treatment with azathioprine in a dose of 1.5-2.0 mg/kg/day is not associated with a noticeable increment of the rate of CA. The studies of the level of CA can be used for estimating CGN and LGN activity. Chronic renal failure did not change the level of CA either in CGN or in LGN. In different morphological forms of glomerulonephritis, the rate of CA was determined by the clinical variant of the disease. In order to reduce potential complications provoked by the treatment with cytotoxic drugs, dynamic studies of the CA rate should be carried out in addition to the conventional tests.