Pathophysiology of circulating immune complexes

✍ Scribed by Mart Mannik

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 497 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0004-3591
• DOI: 10.1002/art.1780250713

✦ Synopsis

Studies i n experimental animals have shown t h a t c i r c u l a t i n g , l a r g e -l a t t i c e d immune complexes c o n t a i n i n g IgG antibodies a r e e f f e c t i v e l y removed by Kupffer c e l l s . The removal of immune complexes i s a l s o i n f l uenced by the nature o f antigens and antibodies i n the complexes and by t h e functional c a p a c i t y o f t h e K u p f f e r c e l l s .

The presence o f immune complexes i n glomeruli may develop by d e p o s i t i o n o f c i r c u l a t i n g immune complexes o r by l o c a l formation o f antigen-antibody comp l exes. C i r c u l a t i ng , large-l a t t i c e d complexes deposi t i n renal glomeruli i n t h e subendothelial and mesangial areas, whereas s u b e p i t h e l i a l deposits o f immune complexes are l o c a l l y formed.

Concepts on t h e pathophysiology o f immune complexes developed i n experimental animals w i l l h e l p t o guide t h e study o f human immune complex diseases, i n c l u d i n g systemic lupus erythema tosus (SLE).