THE DISAPPEARANCE KINETICS AND GLOMERULAR DEPOSITION OF SMALL-LATTICED SOLUBLE IMMUNE-COMPLEXES

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (3) , 407-414
Abstract
The diappearance from circulation and the glomerular localization of human serum albumin (HSA) anti-HSA complexes made at 50-fold antigen excess were examined in mice and compared with the same features of complexes made at 5-fold antigen excess. Complexes prepared at 50-fold antigen excess consisted principally of small-latticed complexes (Ag2Ab2 [antigen-antibody complex] and Ag1Ab1) that persisted in the circulation after the initial rapid disappearance attributed to extravasation. The presence of small-latticed complexes in the circulation did not lead to glomerular localization of complexes during a 96 h period. When large-latticed soluble complexes, prepared at 5-fold antigen excess, were injected, abundant glomerular deposits developed. The lattice of circulating immune complexes must exceed the Ag2Ab2 structure for glomerular deposition to occur.