Skip to main content
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1982 Mar;47(3):527–534.

IgA nephropathy: characterization of the polymeric nature of mesangial deposits by in vitro binding of free secretory component.

M C Bene, G Faure, J Duheille
PMCID: PMC1536420  PMID: 7044624

Abstract

IgA nephropathy, as Berger defined it, is characterized by mesangial deposits of IgA, which are easily visualized by immunofluorescence on kidney biopsies. The structure (mono- or dimeric) of these IgA has not been clearly defined so far. Fifteen renal biopsies were studied to find out whether these IgA are serum monomers, or are polymers from a different origin. This was done by tissue fixation in vitro of free secretory component, which was then visualized by immunofluorescence (IF). In all 15 cases, the IgA deposits were shown to lack bound secretory component, but were able to bind, specifically, with the free secretory component. The presence of J chain in these deposits was also evidenced by indirect IF. These findings favour the hypothesis that these immunoglobulins are polymeric.

Full text

PDF
528

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. André C., Berthoux F. C., André F., Gillon J., Genin C., Sabatier J. C. Prevalence of IgA2 deposits in IgA nephropathies: a clue to their pathogenesis. N Engl J Med. 1980 Dec 4;303(23):1343–1346. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198012043032306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Avrameas S., Ternynck T. Biologically active water-insoluble protein polymers. I. Their use for isolation of antigens and antibodies. J Biol Chem. 1967 Apr 10;242(7):1651–1659. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berger J. IgA glomerular deposits in renal disease. Transplant Proc. 1969 Dec;1(4):939–944. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P. Immunochemical studies on free and bound J chain of human IgA and IgM. Scand J Immunol. 1975 Sep;4(5-6):439–450. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1975.tb02649.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brandtzaeg P. Presence of J chain in human immunocytes containing various immunoglobulin classes. Nature. 1974 Nov 29;252(5482):418–420. doi: 10.1038/252418a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brandtzaeg P. Two types of IgA immunocytes in man. Nat New Biol. 1973 May 30;243(126):142–143. doi: 10.1038/newbio243142a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Conley M. E., Cooper M. D., Michael A. F. Selective deposition of immunoglobulin A1 in immunoglobulin A nephropathy, anaphylactoid purpura nephritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. J Clin Invest. 1980 Dec;66(6):1432–1436. doi: 10.1172/JCI109998. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dobrin R. S., Knudson F. E., Michael A. F. The secretory immune system and renal disease. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Aug;21(2):318–328. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kobayashi K. Studies on human secretory IgA comparative studies of the IgA-bound secretory piece and the free secretory piece protein. Immunochemistry. 1971 Sep;8(9):785–800. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(71)90446-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Levinsky R. J., Barratt T. M. IgA immune complexes in Henoch-Schönlein purpura. Lancet. 1979 Nov 24;2(8152):1100–1103. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)92505-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mach J. P. In vitro combination of human and bovine free secretory component with IgA of various species. Nature. 1970 Dec 26;228(5278):1278–1282. doi: 10.1038/2281278a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McCoy R. C., Abramowsky C. R., Tisher C. C. IgA nephropathy. Am J Pathol. 1974 Jul;76(1):123–144. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mogi G., Watanabe N., Maeda S., Umehara T. Laryngeal secretions. An immunochemical and immunohistological study. Acta Otolaryngol. 1979 Jan-Feb;87(1-2):129–141. doi: 10.3109/00016487909126397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Newcomb R. W., Normansell D., Stanworth D. R. A structural study of human exocrine IgA globulin. J Immunol. 1968 Nov;101(5):905–914. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rifai A., Small P. A., Jr, Teague P. O., Ayoub E. M. Experimental IgA nephropathy. J Exp Med. 1979 Nov 1;150(5):1161–1173. doi: 10.1084/jem.150.5.1161. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Thompson R. A., Asquith P., Cooke W. T. Secretory IgA in the serum. Lancet. 1969 Sep 6;2(7619):517–519. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90217-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Trascasa M. L., Egido J., Sancho J., Hernando L. IgA glomerulonephritis (Berger's disease): evidence of high serum levels of polymeric IgA. Clin Exp Immunol. 1980 Nov;42(2):247–254. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Underdown B. J., De Rose J., Plaut A. Disulfide bonding of secretory component to a single monomer subunit in human secretory IgA. J Immunol. 1977 May;118(5):1816–1821. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES