The kidneys are a paired organ located in the abdomen approximately at the lower back of human beings. Their basic function is filtering the blood. They regulate the mineral composition of the blood, modify the acidity, change the amount of fluid in blood, influence blood pressure, signal the bone marrow to make blood cells, and synthesize vitamin D. Human blood is composed of a liquid component called serum that contains many proteins and a cellular component with red cells, white cells and platelets. The many types of kidney disease affect the proteins in blood, which in turn affects the body.
Types of Renal Disease
Renal, or kidney disease, has many causes and forms, according to "Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease" by Dr. Vinay Kumar. Two basic forms are the nephrotic syndrome and the nephritic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome, which has several variations and causes, is characterized by damage to special blood vessels in the kidneys. Proteins that normally stay in the blood are lost into the urine. Symptoms include swelling and high levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood.
Effect of Renal Disease on Blood Protein
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine" by Anthony S. Fauci, renal disease generally causes loss of protein. Blood flows from the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta, which leaves the left side of the heart, and goes out into the organs. The right and left renal arteries supply the kidneys, and divide into smaller blood vessels specialized for the kidneys called the glomeruli. Kidney disease can damage these vessels and cause a depletion of protein by letting it leak into the urine.
Effects of Protein Disturbances on the Body
Proteins can also be depleted if your kidney disease is one in which the body mistakenly attacks its own kidneys. The loss of proteins involved in blood clotting into the urine can cause a tendency for the blood to clot or can cause one to be prone to bleeding and bruising. One of the most common proteins in the blood is albumin. Albumin binds to drugs and has other functions. A loss of albumin can necessitate a change in medication dosing since more drugs will be fee in the bloodstream. The general loss of protein will also cause the body to swell because proteins keep the fluid inside blood vessels from leaking out into tissues.
Dietary Protein in Renal Disease
Since protein is needed for many functions in the diet it is generally not eliminated, but may be restricted in the diets in some people with kidney disease. This is because the body produces waste products from proteins that are eliminated through the kidneys. If they are not functioning optimally, the waste products accumulate in the blood. The National Kidney Foundation recommends a diet that includes animal- and plant-based protein. "Primer on Kidney Diseases" by Dr. Arthur Greenberg recommends about 0.8 to 1.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, but this will vary depending on the condition of the person.
References
- "Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease"; Vinay Kumar et al.; 8th ed 2009
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Anthony S. Fauci et al.; 17th ed 2008
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition and Chronic Kidney Disease
- "Primer on Kidney Diseases"; Arthur Greenberg; 2005
