Effect of rice bran oil on the lipid profile of steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome

Objective: To study the effect of rice bran oil (RBO) on the lipid profile of steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome. Study design: Prospective controlled trial in pediatric patients in a tertiary teaching centre. Methods: All children diagnosed as nephrotic syndrome were randomly divided into two groups to receive either 1ml/kg/day of RBO or equal volume of groundnut oil for 4 weeks. Supportive management and steroid therapy was given in both groups. Serum protein levels and lipid profile of both groups of patient was measured and compared at the beginning of the study and repeated at 2 and 4 weeks after initiation of the intervention. Results: Equal number of cases (12 each), were assigned to each of the two groups. The mean age at presentation was 6 years with no gender predilection. Baseline parameters did not differ significantly between the subjects assigned to the two groups. The decline in serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels noted at 4 weeks from initiation of treatment were significant LDL and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) at the end of the study were significantly lower (p 0.05). Mean serum albumin levels in the entire study population increased from 1.52g% on admission to 3.09g% at 4 weeks (P<0.05); albumin to globulin ratio increased from 0.5:1 at admission to 0.9:1 at 2 weeks and 1.1:1 at 4 weeks. There serum protein profile did not exhibit any significant difference between the 2 groups throughout the assessment period