Characterization of the Glomerular Antibody in Acute Poststreptococcal Glomerulonephritis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Glomerular-fixed antibody was eluted from the kidney of a 17 yr old patient who died 2 wk after the onset of acute post-streptococcal 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 (Ig) G was the only serum protein demonstrated in the eluate and it had anti-IgG activity highly concentrated with respect to the serum. Anti-IgG is involved in the immune pathogenesis of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Native IgG may be rendered autoimmunogenic by the Streptococcus with subsequent antibody production to the neoautoimmunogen. Anti-IgG may be produced to the IgG incorporated in an exogenous streptococcal antigen-antibody complex.