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The Role of Immune Complexes in the Pathogenesis of Disease
Author(s) -
Andrews B. S.,
Penny R.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1976.tb04003.x
Subject(s) - immune system , immunology , medicine , serum sickness , pathogenesis , immune complex , malignancy , immune complex disease , rheumatoid arthritis , disease , immunotherapy , vasculitis , glomerulonephritis , antibody , pathology , kidney
Summary: The role of immune complexes in the pathogenesis of disease. B. S. Andrews and R. Penny, Aust. N.Z. J. Med., 1976, 6, pp. 591–602. Circulating antigen‐antibody complexes are incriminated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and more recently malignancy. Extensive knowledge of the immuno‐pathological reactions has evolved from the study of experimental serum sickness in animals and of the potential aetiological agents (e.g. viruses) from spontaneous immune complex diseases in animals. Numerous techniques, both direct and indirect, have now been described to identify immune complexes in serum, though no single technique will identify regularly immune complexes in all clinical situations, nor will it demonstrate the pathogenicity of the immune complex in a given patient. Human disorders with a definite immune complex basis (glomerulonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis) and others with a possible immune complex basis (e.g. cutaneous vasculitis) are presented. Management of immune complex disorders is based on removal of the initiating agent if known (e.g. infection, drug, malignancy) or the use of non‐specific antiinflammatory therapy. Specific immunotherapy, in practice and theory, is discussed.