Studies of Immune-Complex Glomerulonephritis Mediated by Human Thyroglobulin

Abstract

GLOMERULAR immunoglobulin and complement deposits in patients with immune-complex-mediated glomerulonephritis can be readily demonstrated with immunofluorescence techniques. However, identification of the antigens involved in immune-complex formation is a far more formidable task. In certain forms of human glomerulonephritis, endogenous antigens (nuclear, renal-tubular brush border, tumor, and immunoglobulin antigens) have been associated with nephritogenic immune-complex formation.^{1 2 3 4} Our studies and the research of other investigators have shown that human thyroglobulin can also be a nephritogenic antigen in human glomerulonephritis^{5 6 7 8}; however, the relation of circulating immune complexes to glomerular immune-complex deposits has not been determined.⁸ This report establishes the nephritogenic capacity of . . .