Characterization of the glomerular antibody in acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis

Ann Intern Med. 1980 Apr;92(4):478-81. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-92-4-478.

Abstract

Glomerular-fixed antibody was eluted from the kidney of a 17-year-old patient who died 2 weeks after the onset of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Elevated titers of antibodies to streptococcal enzymes were found in the serum but not in the glomerular eluate. Streptococcal M protein and anti-M protein reactivity were not detected in the eluate. Immunoglobulin G was the only serum protein demonstrated in the eluate, and it was found to have anti-IgG activity highly concentrated with respect to the serum. These studies appear to indicate that anti-IgG is involved in the immune pathogenesis of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Native IgG may be rendered autoimmunogenic by the streptococcus with subsequent antibody production to the neoautoimmunogen. Alernatively, anti-IgG may be produced to the IgG incorporated in an exogenous streptococcal antigen-antibody complex.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / analysis*
  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / immunology
  • Antibody Formation
  • Bacterial Proteins / immunology
  • Female
  • Glomerulonephritis / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Kidney Glomerulus / immunology*
  • Streptococcal Infections / complications*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Immunoglobulin G