IGG SUBCLASS DISTRIBUTION IN ORGAN SPECIFIC AUTOANTIBODIES - THE RELATIONSHIP TO COMPLEMENT-FIXING ABILITY

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (1) , 61-66
Abstract
Indirect immunofluorescence techniques employing sheep monospecific antisera to human IgG subclasses on unfixed cryostat sections revealed the IgG subclass distribution in autoantibodies to human pancreatic islets (ICA), thyroid epithelial (TMA), gastric parietal (PCA) and arenal fasciculata (AdA) cells. Whereas antibodies were detected in all 4 subclasses in 21 of 27 TMA positive sera (mean IgG titer 29 .+-. 5.2) 13 of 15 PCA (mean IgG titer 41 .+-. 3.8) and 8 of 14 AdA sera (mean IgG titer 10 .+-. 3.1), only 4 of 35 ICA positive sera (mean IgG titer 45 .+-. 3.6) reacted in all 4 subclasses. Approximately 50% of ICA positive sera showed a restricted polyclonal response to the common pancreatic antigen and 12% reacted only with IgG2 subclass. The restriction rarely applied to coexistent thyrogastric antibodies in these sera and was independent of the ability of ICA to fix complement. Lesser subclass restrictions were observed in antibody responses to the common antigen of the adrenal cortex.