Nonprecipitating Antibody and the Arthus Vasculitis

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Abstract
Summary: The inability of two nonprecipitating antibodies to produce Arthus vascular inflammatory reactions was studied. In both cases the nonprecipitating antibody did not deposit antigen in the vessel walls in the form of an antigen-antibody-host complement complex, while relatively equal amounts of precipitating antibody did. Rabbit nonprecipitating antibody was found to interact with its antigen in the tissues equally as well as precipitating antibody (determined by passive cutaneous anaphylactic reactions) and was found abundantly capable of inactivating hemolytic guinea pig complement with components at least through C′3c taking part. It was proposed that heavy deposition of antigen-antibody complexes, perhaps with host complement, was essential for the accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and resulting vascular inflammatory damage.