IMMUNE DEPOSITS IN EXTRAGLOMERULAR VESSELS - THEIR CORRELATION WITH CIRCULATING IMMUNE-COMPLEXES

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 42  (3) , 483-489
Abstract
Of a consecutive series of 65 [human] renal biopsies 68% showed immune deposits in extraglomerular blood vessels. Although they occurred with a variety of clinical disorders and histological diagnoses, they were associated in particular with an acute nephritic syndrome, focal proliferative glomerulonephritis and non-specific mesangial changes. IgM was the commonest Ig class to be deposited and higher IgM-containing complex levels were detected in the serum of those patients with vascular deposits. Previously, immunofluorescent renal biopsy studies have concentrated mostly on glomeruli but this study suggests that the extraglomerular vasculature deserves closer attention. The mechanisms for this localization pattern are discussed.