Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1979 Sep;37(3):381–390.

Circulating immune complexes in patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis.

P L Haslam, B Thompson, I Mohammed, P J Townsend, M E Hodson, E J Holborow, M Turner-Warwick
PMCID: PMC1537788  PMID: 315841

Abstract

Increased Clq binding levels have been obtained in serum from twenty-one (50%) of forty-two patients with cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (CFA) suggesting the presence of circulating immune complexes. There was a low frequency of positive results using a number of other tests for circulating immune complexes. The increased Clq binding levels were observed in six (35%) out of seventeen patients with lone lung involvement and in fifteen (60%) out of twenty-five patients with extrapulmonary connective tissue disorders. There was an especially close correlation between arthritis and elevated Clq binding. A strong correlation between Clq binding levels and levels of circulating rheumatoid factor (RF) and IgG, and enhancement in macrophage radiobioassay tests using RF-containing sera, suggested that RF might be involved in the circulating immune complexes in these patients. DNAase pre-treatment of sera did not influence the findings, and there was no correlation between Clq binding and levels of immunofluorescent ANA, C-reactive protein levels, or platelet counts. A weak correlation between Clq binding and erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and slightly lower binding levels in treated than untreated patients with 'lone' CFA suggested that binding levels may give some indication of disease activity and may in some instances be influenced by treatment.

Full text

PDF
381

Selected References

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

  1. Andriopoulos N. A., Mestecky J., Wright G. P., Miller E. J. Characterization of antibodies to the native human collagens and to their component alpha chains in the sera and the joint fluids of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Immunochemistry. 1976 Aug;13(8):709–712. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(76)90213-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Claus D. R., Osmand A. P., Gewurz H. Radioimmunoassay of human C-reactive protein and levels in normal sera. J Lab Clin Med. 1976 Jan;87(1):120–128. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Claus D. R., Siegel J., Petras K., Osmand A. P., Gewurz H. Interactions of C-reactive protein with the first component of human complement. J Immunol. 1977 Jul;119(1):187–192. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cream J. J. Cryoglobulins in vasculitis. Clin Exp Immunol. 1972 Jan;10(1):117–126. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Crystal R. G., Fulmer J. D., Roberts W. C., Moss M. L., Line B. R., Reynolds H. Y. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Clinical, histologic, radiographic, physiologic, scintigraphic, cytologic, and biochemical aspects. Ann Intern Med. 1976 Dec;85(6):769–788. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-85-6-769. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. DeHoratius R. J., Abruzzo J. L., Williams R. C., Jr Immunofluorescent and immunologic studies of rheumatoid lung. Arch Intern Med. 1972 Mar;129(3):441–446. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dreisin R. B., Schwarz M. I., Theofilopoulos A. N., Stanford R. E. Circulating immune complexes in the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. N Engl J Med. 1978 Feb 16;298(7):353–357. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197802162980701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ghosh P., Ingman A. M., Taylor T. K. Variations in collagen, non-collagenous proteins, and hexosamine in menisci derived from osteoarthritic and rheumatoid arthritic knee joints. J Rheumatol. 1975 Mar;2(1):100–107. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. HUNTER W. M., GREENWOOD F. C. Preparation of iodine-131 labelled human growth hormone of high specific activity. Nature. 1962 May 5;194:495–496. doi: 10.1038/194495a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Heusser C., Boesman M., Nordin J. H., Isliker H. Effect of chemical and enzymatic radioiodination on in vitro human Clq activities. J Immunol. 1973 Mar;110(3):820–828. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hobbs J. R., Turner-Warwick M. Assay of circulating immunoglobulins in patients with fibrosing alveolitis. Clin Exp Immunol. 1967 Nov;2(6):645–652. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kang K. Y., Yagura T., Sera Y., Yokoyama K., Yamamura Y. Antinuclear factor in pneumoconioses and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Med J Osaka Univ. 1973 Mar;23(4):249–256. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kaplan M. H., Volanakis J. E. Interaction of C-reactive protein complexes with the complement system. I. Consumption of human complement associated with the reaction of C-reactive protein with pneumococcal C-polysaccharide and with the choline phosphatides, lecithin and sphingomyelin. J Immunol. 1974 Jun;112(6):2135–2147. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Koffler D., Agnello V., Kimkel H. G. Polynucleotide immune complexes in serum and glomeruli of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Pathol. 1974 Jan;74(1):109–124. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kravis T. C., Ahmed A., Brown T. E., Fulmer J. D., Crystal R. G. Pathogenic mechanisms in pulmonary fibrosis: collagen-induced migration inhibition factor production and cytotoxicity mediated by lymphocytes. J Clin Invest. 1976 Nov;58(5):1223–1232. doi: 10.1172/JCI108576. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mancini G., Carbonara A. O., Heremans J. F. Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by single radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry. 1965 Sep;2(3):235–254. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(65)90004-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Menzel J., Steffen C., Kolarz G., Eberal G., Frank O., Thumb N. Demonstration of antibodies to collagen and of collagen-anticollagen immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluids. Ann Rheum Dis. 1975 Oct;35(5):446–450. doi: 10.1136/ard.35.5.446. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nydegger U. E., Lambert P. H., Gerber H., Miescher P. A. Circulating immune complexes in the serum in systemic lupus erythematosus and in carriers of hepatitis B antigen. Quantitation by binding to radiolabeled C1q. J Clin Invest. 1974 Aug;54(2):297–309. doi: 10.1172/JCI107765. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Onyewotu I. I., Johnson P. M., Johnson G. D., Holborow E. J. Enhanced uptake by guinea-pig macrophages of radio-iodinated human aggregated immunoglobulin G in the presence of sera from rheumatoid patients with cutaneous vasculitis. Clin Exp Immunol. 1975 Feb;19(2):267–280. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. SCADDING J. G. FIBROSING ALVEOLITIS. Br Med J. 1964 Sep 12;2(5410):686–686. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5410.686. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Scadding J. G., Hinson K. F. Diffuse fibrosing alveolitis (diffuse interstitial fibrosis of the lungs). Correlation of histology at biopsy with prognosis. Thorax. 1967 Jul;22(4):291–304. doi: 10.1136/thx.22.4.291. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Seyer J. M., Hutcheson E. T., Kang A. H. Collagen polymorphism in idiopathic chronic pulmonary fibrosis. J Clin Invest. 1976 Jun;57(6):1498–1507. doi: 10.1172/JCI108420. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Stack B. H., Choo-Kang Y. F., Heard B. E. The prognosis of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Thorax. 1972 Sep;27(5):535–542. doi: 10.1136/thx.27.5.535. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. TURNER-WARWICK M., DONIACH D. AUTO-ANTIBODY STUDIES IN INTERSTITIAL PULMONARY FIBROSIS. Br Med J. 1965 Apr 3;1(5439):886–891. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5439.886. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Turner-Warwick M., Haslam P., Weeks J. Antibodies in some chronic fibrosing lung diseases. II. Immunofluorescent studies. Clin Allergy. 1971 Jun;1(2):209–219. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2222.1971.tb03020.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Turner-Warwick M. Philip Ellman lecture. Immunological aspects of systemic diseases of the lungs. Proc R Soc Med. 1974 Jun;67(6 Pt 2):541–547. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Valdivia E., Hensley G., Leory E. P., Wu J., Jaeschke W. Morphology and pathogenesis of desquamative interstitial pneumonitis. Thorax. 1977 Feb;32(1):7–18. doi: 10.1136/thx.32.1.7. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Weaver A. L., Brundage B. H., Nelson R. A., Bischoff M. B. Pulmonary involvement in polymyositis: report of a case with response to corticosteroid therapy. Arthritis Rheum. 1968 Dec;11(6):765–773. doi: 10.1002/art.1780110606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Weaver A. L., Divertie M. B., Titus J. L. The lung scleroderma. Mayo Clin Proc. 1967 Nov;42(11):754–766. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Zubler R. H., Lange G., Lambert P. H., Miescher P. A. Detection of immune complexes in unheated sera by modified 125I-Clq binding test. Effect of heating on the binding of Clq by immune complexes and application of the test to systemic lupus erythematosus. J Immunol. 1976 Jan;116(1):232–235. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Zubler R. H., Nydegger U., Perrin L. H., Fehr K., McCormick J., Lambert P. H., Miescher P. A. Circulating and intra-articular immune complexes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Correlation of 125I-Clq binding activity with clinical and biological features of the disease. J Clin Invest. 1976 May;57(5):1308–1319. doi: 10.1172/JCI108399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES