SPATIAL ORIENTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ANTIGENS WITHIN HUMAN GLOMERULAR BASEMENT-MEMBRANE

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 94  (3) , 447-457
Abstract
Antibodies to GBM [glomerular basement membrane] have a linear staining pattern along the GBM by immunofluorescence. The distribution of human GBM antigens was examined using Goodpasture antibody and heterologous rabbit anti-human GBM antibody. Goodpasture sera and Goodpasture antibody eluted from diseased kidneys reacted as a single linear component within the GBM. Rabbit anti-human GBM reacted along distinctly separate zones of the inner and outer aspects of the GBM; the central portion of the GBM seemed to be nonreactive with this antibody. In comparison, Goodpasture antibodies reacted along the inner zone of the GBM but at a locus external to that reacting with heterologous rabbit anti-GBM antibody. These observations of linear binding of antibody to different sites along the GBM suggest a spatial organization of antigen not previously observed.