Antigenic similarities within circulating immune complexes in patients suffering from cutaneous vasculitis

Circulating immune complexes (IC) were searched by 2% polyethylene glycol precipitation in 24 patients with clear-cut clinical cutaneous vasculitis. 13 patients were IC-positive. Isolated IC were shown to cross-react specifically within three different groups. One group possessed the same or highly similar antigenic determinants in circulating IC. No correlation was found between common antigenic determinants in IC and the histological and clinical features of the disease.