title: Clearance kinetics and immunochemistry in rabbits of soluble antibody/DNA immune complexes. Effects of antibody class and DNA conformation.
abstract: We examined the clearance kinetics in rabbits of soluble antibody/DNA immune complexes (IC) containing either IgG or IgM anti-DNA antibodies. Differences in the complement-mediated binding of these IC to rabbit blood cells (platelets) were also studied. Complexation of either double-stranded (ds) or single-stranded (ss) DNA with IgG anti-DNA tends to preclude in vivo DNA recognition mechanisms; the DNA is cleared as part of an IC at a rate slower than that of free DNA. Binding of ds- or ssDNA by IgM anti-DNA antibodies leads to formation of IC which are cleared more like free DNA, and this effect is most evident for ssDNA. However, although both IgG- and IgM-containing IC bound rapidly to blood cells in vivo, significant differences in their immunochemistry were apparent. For example, the DNA in IgM-containing IC was more susceptible to both in vivo and in vitro degradation. In addition, the binding of IgM-containing IC to rabbit platelets and human red blood cells was considerably more labile. Based on this systematic investigation of the soluble antibody/DNA IC that can potentially form in the circulation of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, it should be possible to formulate predictions regarding the relative pathogenic potential of these IC.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011817:Rabbits; D012995:Solubility; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D004247:DNA