A Study of the Mechanisms of Edema Formation in Patients with the Nephrotic Syndrome 1

Accumulation of edema in the nephrotic syn- drome is the result of renal tubular reabsorption of filtered sodium, chloride, and water in excess of that required for maintenance of a normal extra- cellular fluid volume. This increase in tubular reabsorption ("glomerulo-tubular imbalance" (3, 4) ) could be the consequence of a decrease in the rate of glomerular filtration ("primary glomerular insufficiency") or of stimuli acting directly on the tubules ("primary tubular preponderance").