Studies on rheumatoid factor: I. The effect of rheumatoid factor on the clearance of preformed immune complexes in mice.
The blood clearance of passively transferred immune complexes (IC), preformed at different antigen-antibody ratios, was measured in mice with LPS-induced rheumatoid factor (RF) and in normal controls. RF had a differential effect on IC clearance, significantly enhancing clearance of complexes formed in antibody excess and slight antigen excess but inhibiting the clearance of complexes formed in moderate (x10) antigen excess. The results are discussed with regard to the mechanisms of IC clearance and suggest that RF may play an important role in governing the behaviour of immune complexes in vivo.
D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000276:immunology
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D012709:Serum Albumin; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor