Circulating HBsAg/IgG complexes in idiopathic chronic glomerulonephritis.
We measured HBsAg/IgG complexes (CX) quantitatively by ELISA from HBsAg positive serum of 35 liver disease patients, 15 patients with glomerular diseases (8 membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) 7 membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and 50 healthy carriers of HBsAg. HbsAg/IgG CX was detected in 26 out of 35 liver disease patients (74.3%), 5 out of 50 healthy carriers (10%), and one of both 8 MGN patients (12.5%) and 7 MPGN patients (14.3%). HBsAg/IgG CX was big in size and wide spread in the liver disease groups but negligible in the healthy carrier group (41 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, n = 5) and MGN (50 ng/ml, n = 1) and MPGN (42 ng/ml, n = 1) group. In the liver disease group, no one suffered from glomerulopathy even with a wide spectrum of HBsAg/IgG CX. These results suggest that HBsAg/IgG CX in plasma is non causative of MGN and MPGN.
Hong
S Y
SY
Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Chunan Hospital, Chungnam, Korea.
Yang
D H
DH
Park
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000276:immunology*; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G