Which term describes heavy protein loss in urine with low plasma protein due to glomerular damage?

• A. Nephrosis
• B. Uremia
• C. Edema
• D. Nephrotic syndrome

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is a glomerular leak that allows large amounts of protein to escape into the urine, leading to low protein levels in the blood. When the kidneys’ filtering units are damaged, albumin and other proteins spill into the urine (heavy proteinuria). The loss of albumin lowers the blood’s oncotic pressure, so fluid shifts into tissues, causing edema. This combination—heavy proteinuria with hypoalbuminemia and edema due to glomerular injury—is the signature of nephrotic syndrome. Nephrosis is an older term and not as precise for this pattern; uremia reflects buildup of waste products from kidney failure rather than the specific protein-loss picture, and edema can occur in many conditions but doesn’t define the disease itself.