Modification of immune complexes deposited in glomeruli in tissue sections treated with sulfonized gamma-globulin

The modification of immune complexes (IC) deposited in renal tissues obtained from the patients with membranous nephropathy (MN), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MGPN), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), IgA nephropathy, and rabbits with chronic serum sickness was investigated by an immunofluorescent technique. Following treatment with sulfonized gamma-globulin (S-GG), IgG deposited in glomeruli disappeared. However, the deposition of other immunoglobulins, complement and protein A, and the fixation of guinea pig complement were not influenced in spite of the disappearance of IgG deposits. In addition, deposition of antigen was demonstrated following treatment with S-GG in experimental animals. By elution with 0.02 M citrate buffer at pH 3.2, the intensity of these deposits markedly decreased or disappeared completely. The data suggests that the phenomena of IgG-dispersion from IC following the treatment with either S-GG or acid buffer are essentially different. The exact mechanisms of selective IgG-dispersion by the treatment with S-GG are unclear, but an antiglobulin activity (rheumatoid factor or anti-idiotypic antibody) of deposited IC may play an important role.