[Determination of circulating immune complexes and their significance for diagnosis and therapy].
15 years' experience in large scale search for immune complexes has revealed abnormally high levels of such complexes in a wide variety of inflammatory diseases. The original hope of using immune complex detection for improved diagnosis has somewhat waned, but a new impetus in complex detection has been given by the increasing precision with which we can detect the antigens within the complexes: such techniques as gel electrophoresis and Western blotting will, once made easier for the routine clinical laboratory, foster further search for pathogenetic immune complexes. In addition, study of immune complex-receptor systems such as complement, macrophages and lymphocytes helps to explain the way complexes are handled by these components of the immune system and raises the question whether the difficulty of eliminating pathogenic antigens of bacterial, viral or autoimmune nature through immune complex formation in fact is not a defect in antibody formation but rather a defect in clearing the opsonized antigen from circulation. Investigators who read English are referred to a similar text by the same author (Immunology Today 6, 80-82 [1985].
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques / Q000592:standards; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D011786:Quality Control; D011951:Receptors, Complement / Q000276:immunology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000502:physiology; D012015:Reference Standards
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000941:Antigens; D009895:Opsonin Proteins; D011951:Receptors, Complement; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic
Bestimmung zirkulierender Immunkomplexe und ihre Bedeutung für Diagnostik und Therapie.