GLOMERULAR IMMUNE-COMPLEX FORMATION AND INDUCTION OF LYMPHOMA IN ATHYMIC NUDE-MICE BY TISSUE FILTRATES OF CROHNS-DISEASE PATIENTS

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 99  (6) , 827-837
Abstract
Lymph nodes and intestinal filtrates from Crohn''s disease patients produced lymphoma in 5, and plasma cell hyperplasia in 2 of 63 athymic (nu/nu) mice. None of 27 mice injected with intestinal filtrates from ulcerative colitis patients, but 1 of 13 mice injected with normal-appearing colon developed lymphoma. With an indirect immunofluorescence technique, sera from all 9 patients with symptomatic Crohn''s disease and 1 of 15 patients with asymptomatic Crohn''s disease demonstrated cytoplasmic immunofluorescence in a lymphoma produced by Crohn''s disease filtrates, but not in a control filtrate-induced lymphoma. None of 46 sera from ulcerative colitis patients or control subjects demonstrated immunofluorescence. Immunofluorescent staining with symptomatic Crohn''s disease sera recognized an antigen(s) within glomeruli that were also stained with anti-mouse IgG and IgM. Kidneys from the control mice did not show any staining. An agent present in lymph nodes and intestine of patients with Crohn''s disease can apparently induce lymphoma and glomerular immune complexes in nu/nu mice.