Abstract
Summary
Chemical nature of the brush border antigen (BBAg) of the autologous immune complex glomerulonephritis (AIC) of rats was investigated by a histochemical method utilizing indirect immunofluorescence. Fresh frozen rat kidney sections, a specific antibody to BBAg (BBAb), purified lectins (concanavalin A, Ricin II, wheat germ hemagglutinin) and a specific sugar, α-methyl-D-mannopyranoside were used. The reaction of the specific antibody BBAb to its antigen BBAg on tissue sections was blocked by concanavalin A but not be Ricin II and wheat germ agglutinin. This blockade was reversed by α-methyl-D-mannopyranoside. These results suggest that the antigen of AIC of rats is a mannose or glucose containing glycoprotein.
Identification of the chemical nature of the antigen of AIC is of considerable importance because AIC has a striking clinical, histological, and immunohistological similarity to the idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis in humans.
This work was supported by research grants from The Kidney Foundation of Ohio, Inc., and NIH Grants RR 05410-14 and AM 25782.
The author is indebted to Mrs. Sharon Monahan for her excellent technical assistance.
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