In cases of nephrosis, what is most likely to be observed in the patient’s blood work?

In cases of nephrosis, the most significant observation in the patient’s blood work is high levels of albumin. Nephrosis, also known as nephrotic syndrome, is characterized by increased permeability of the glomeruli in the kidneys, leading to excessive protein loss in the urine. As a result, the albumin levels in the blood often decrease because albumin is one of the key proteins lost during this process. It is important to note that high levels of albumin would not be expected in nephrosis; rather, patients typically exhibit low levels of albumin (hypoalbuminemia) due to the significant urinary protein loss.

High levels of creatinine would typically indicate renal impairment but are not directly indicative of nephrosis itself. Normal protein levels would contradict the definition of nephrosis, which inherently involves proteinuria (high protein levels in urine) and therefore would not be observed. Lastly, low cholesterol levels also do not align with nephrotic syndrome, as patients often develop hyperlipidemia, a condition marked by increased cholesterol levels due to altered lipid metabolism often seen in conjunction with low protein levels due to nephrosis.