Abstract
Current evidence suggests that CIC are involved in the pathogenesis of HSP, and several studies have demonstrated both IgA and IgG containing CIC in patients with HSP. Recent work from this laboratory showed that over 50% of children with HSP have IgA RF. The present study was performed to investigate the role of IgA RF in the formation of IgA containing CIC in HSP, and to determine the subclass composition of IgA RF. CIC were isolated from the sera of 22 children with HSP and 13 controls by means of polyethylene giycol (PEG) precipitation. The percentage of IgG, IgA, and IgM precipitated by PEG was significantly greater in HSP patients than controls (P<0.01). There was a strong correlation (r=.723, P<0.001) between the amount of IgG and IgA in the PEG precipitates from HSP patients, but not controls. HSP patients had significantly higher levels of IgA RF in their serum (P<0.05) and in their PEG precipitates (P<0.05) compared to controls. PEG precipitation eliminated IgA RF activity from the serum of seven of eight HSP patients tested; IgA RF was recovered in the PEG precipitates from all patients. Testing of HSP patients showed that IgA1 was the predominant IgA subclass of the serum IgA RF (P<0.02) and PEG precipitate IgA RF (P<0.01). These results suggest that IgA RF is a constituent of IgA CIC in HSP, and that IgA RF is predominantly IgA1 in composition.
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Saulsbury, F. THE ROLE OF IgA1 RHEUMATOID FACTOR (RF) IN THE FORMATION OF IgA-CONTAINING CIRCULATING IMMUNE COMPLEXES (CIC) IN HENOCH-SCHONLEIN PURPURA (HSP). Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 317 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00898
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00898