Abstract
Summary
The glomerular basement membranes in kidneys of rats made nephritic by antirat-kidney rabbit serum show immediately the presence of rabbit gamma globulin when examined with a fluorescein labelled antirabbit gamma globulin serum. Rat gamma globulin, presumably rat antibody, appears only after 6 days on these membranes. The parabiosis of such nephritic rats to healthy rats leads to a mild but clear cut nephritis in the healthy partner with proteinuria and typical histologic changes. Rat gamma globulin, presumably antibody, but not rabbit gamma globulin can be shown on the glomeruli of such secondarily diseased animals. The parabiosis of 2 normal rats does not lead to such a deposition of antibody or to clinical disease. Thus the primary nephritic partner seems to form an auto-antibody against its own altered kidney tissue. This antibody is then in turn able to attack the healthy kidney tissue of the secondary partner.
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