FIGURE 5.

Circulating IC and total IgG levels in the blood as compared with Abs and renal function in another cohort. (A) Three groups of 14-wk-old MRL/lpr mice, 20 for each condition, were injected with 2 mg/mouse of mAb 3d-8b (circle), isotype control Ab (square) or PBS alone (triangle). Eight weeks later, samples of urine were analyzed for the level of excreted mouse albumin to determine the level of proteinuria in the three groups of mice. Once again a trend in reduction in proteinuria was observed in mice injected with mAb 3d-8b. BUN levels also trended in a protective direction and suggested reduced kidney damage in mAb 3d-8b–treated mice. Plasma samples from mice were also analyzed for the level of anti-dsDNA Ab, and again, demonstrated reduced levels in mice injected with mAb 3d-8b. (B) Injection of mAb 3d-8b did not affect circulating IC levels. Interestingly, mAb-injected mice, although demonstrating reducing autoantibody production to dsDNA Ag, showed increased total IgG levels. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA with adjustment for multiple comparisons using the Dunnett–Hsu test. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.005. ns, not statistically significant.