title: Immune complexes in retinitis pigmentosa.
abstract: In a group of 46 patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), we studied the levels of IgM, the presence of a rheumatoid factor (RF), the circulating immune complexes (CIC) and the alterations in the complement system. Our results showed increased IgM levels in two patients (226 and 260 mg/dl), the presence of RF in three patients (205, 187 and 80 IU/ml), the existence of CIC in 43.5% of the subjects, reduced levels of the complement components C3 and C4 (p less than 0.001) and of the haemolytic activity CH50 (p less than 0.001) when compared with a control group consisting of 100 healthy subjects. We found a statistically significant correlation between the values of C3 and CIC (p less than 0.01), C4 and CIC (p less than 0.01) and between CH50 and CIC (p less than 0.001).
mesh_terms: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D003170:Complement Pathway, Alternative; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000276:immunology*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor