Glomerular deposition of C4 cleavage fragment (C4d) and C4-binding protein in idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis.
Renal biopsies from 12 patients with idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis (IMGN) were investigated by immunofluorescence microscopy for the localization of C4d and C4-binding protein (C4bp). Although Clq and C4 deposits were found in only 2 of 12 cases (16%), C4d and C4bp deposits were identified in 11 cases (92%) in close association with IgG deposits in the glomeruli. The results suggest that complement activation through the classical pathway usually occurs in IMGN. The detection of C4d and C4bp in the glomeruli appears to be a sensitive indicator of the classical pathway activation in IMGN.
Kusunoki
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
Itami
N
N
Tochimaru
H
H
Takekoshi
Y
Y
Nagasawa
S
S
Yoshiki
T
T
D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015935:Complement C4b; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016167:Integrin alphaXbeta2; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D003181:Complement C4; D016167:Integrin alphaXbeta2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015935:Complement C4b; C032261:complement C4d