Analysis of circulating IgA and detection of immune complexes in primary IgA nephropathy.

The sera of 31 patients with primary IgA nephropathy were investigated for IgA containing immune complexes by Raji cell-binding IgA radioimmunoassay and conglutinin-binding IgA radioimmunoassay. Positive results, without correlation with IgA serum levels, were found in 68% of the patients using the first assay, in 39% of the patients with the second assay. Positive sera were analysed by gel chromatography.

Hepatitis B antigen-associated periarteritis nodosa in patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis.

Periarteritis nodosa was observed in three of 266 persistent hepatitis B antigen (HBsAg) carriers undergoing long-term hemodialysis; no cases of necrotizing vasculitis occurred among 384 other patients undergoing dialysis having either no or transient antigenemia. Circulating e antigen, but no e antibody, was found in two of these three patients. The serum level of the third component of complement (C3) was normal in two patients and low in the third.

The role of circulating immune complexes in the glomerular disease of experimental hepatosplenic schistosomiasis.

The serological and renal changes were studied simultaneously in 115 mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni. IgG and IgM, but not IgA anti-S. mansoni antibodies were detected in the sera, together with circulating immune complexes containing schistosomal antigen.

Fate of circulating immune complexes in infective endocarditis.

To examine the role of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in infective endocarditis, we studied 64 patients with infective endocarditis for the presence of CIC by the polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-precipitation test and the Clq binding test. This study was repeated during the course of the disease in 23 patients. CIC were found in 84 per cent of patients (66 per cent with acute infective endocarditis, 89 per cent with subacute infective endocarditis) during the active phase of the disease.

[Circulating immuns complexes and infections endocarditis. 64 cases (author's transl)].

An immunological study, with examination for circulating immune complexes (CIC) by precipitation by polyethylene-glycol (PEG) and by fixation of labelled C1q, was carried out in 64 patients with infectious endocarditis (IE). One or more complementary studies during the course of the illness were possible in 23. CIC were found in 84 p.

[Detection of circulating immune complexes by three techniques using polyethylene glycol (author's transl)].

The search for circulating immune complexes (IC) by precipitation tests using polyethylene glycole was performed in a large series of normal (150 subjects) and 1200 pathological sera (over 800 patients). Increased precipitability of IgG and C4 was seen in a great percentage (80%) of pathological sera giving positive PEG precipitation without direct influence of IgG, IgM, C1q, C3 and C4 serum levels. The labeled C1q binding test gave similar results in 90 normal and 640 pathological sera.

Detection of circulating immune complexes in human sera by simplified assays with polyethylene glycol.

The search for circulating immune complexes by precipitation tests using polyethylene glycol (PEG) was performed on a series of normal and pathological sera. Various factors affecting PEG precipitation were studied. Immunoglobulins and complement factors percipitated by PEG (3.

Detection of hepatitis B antigen in circulating immune complexes in acute and chronic hepatitis.

By using polyethylene glycol precipitation at low concentration (PEG test) and the radiolabeled C1q binding test, immune complexes were detected sera from acute (23/28) and chronic (28/32) hepatitis patients, hemodialyzed patients with chronic hepatitis B surface (HBs) antigenemia (7/19), and asymptomatic HBs antigen carriers (2/11). After treatment of PEG precipitates with acidic pH, heating, or proteolytic enzyme (protease), electroimmunodiffusion or radioimmunoassay revealed the presence of HBs antigen or antibody in dissociated immune complexes in sera from several acute and chronic hepatitis patients. Electron microscopy showed immune complexes of HB virus in 9 of 12 PEG precipitates obtained from PEG-test-positive sera; these 9 precipitates were from patients with acute or chronic hepatitis and the other three from chronic HBs Ag carriers.

[Immunologic study of subacute infectious endocarditis through the search for circulating immune complexes. Preliminary results apropos of 13 cases].

The detection of circulating immune complexes by precipitation by polyethylene glycol represents a valuable technique of study in sub-acute bacterial endocarditis. In a series of 13 patients, this measurement was carried out, confirming the quasi-constant presence of circulating immune complexes in active S.B.

Some immunochemical and chemical aspects of S and R Shigella dysenteriae 1 endotoxins.

Endotoxins of S and R forms of Shigella dysenteriae 1 were prepared by NaCl-Na citrate extraction, purified by gel chromatography on Sephadex G 200 and on Sepharose 4B and subjected to immunochemical and chemical analysis. The toxins contained 25--30% of lipids, 40--50% of carbohydrates and 14--24% of protein. The lipid and protein moieties of the lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes exhibited no significant difference, whereas the sugar moieties differed markedly (both qualitatively and quantitatively), in relation to the growth form of the culture.

Purification of bacterial endotoxins by zonal centrifugation.

In this paper, we describe a cultivation procedure in large-capacity fermentors (200 liters) and the purification of the Salmonella crude extracts by means of zonal centrifugation in a sucrose gradient. Briefly, the endotoxin has been extracted from salmonellae with hypertonic solutions. The crude endotoxin was shown to contain several antigens, mainly r(1), r(2), r(3), or heterologous antigen.