Glomerular basement membrane—reactive antibody in anti-lymphocyte globulin

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Abstract

Equine immunoglobulin was detected along the glomerular basement membrane of three human homograft recipients who had been treated with equine anti-lymphocyte globulin. Anti-lymphocyte globulins, given these patients, were obtained by immunization of horses with lymphocytes from human spleens and/or lymph nodes and contained glomerular basement membrane-reactive antibodies. Quantitative paired-label isotope experiments (in rats) demonstrated that 30-170 μg/ml of kidney-fixing antibodies were present in these preparations. The anti-lymphocyte globulins formed a line of identity with a sheep anti-human glomerular basement serum when reacted against collagenase-solubilized human glomerular basement membrane in double diffusion in agar. The renal fixation of these antibodies was blocked by absorption with human glomerular basement membrane, but not by buffy-coat leukocytes, indicating that they were directed specifically toward antigens in the basement membrane and were not cross-reacting anti-lymphocyte antibodies.

Authors

Curtis B. Wilson, Frank J. Dixon, Joseph G. Fortner, G. James Cerilli