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IgG subclasses and complement pathway in segmental and global membranous nephropathy

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Abstract

The aim of our study was to clarify the association between immunoglobulin G(IgG) subclasses and the complement pathway in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (MN). Immunofluorescence (IF) was performed in 16 MN patients and 20 controls using antibodies against IgG, IgA, IgM, C1q, C3c, C4d, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, mannose binding lectin (MBL), C4-binding protein (C4-bp), factor B, C5b-9, and CD59. MN was classified into two types, segmental MN (S-MN; six patients) and global MN (G-MN; ten patients), according to the distribution of IgG deposits along the glomerular capillary wall. No deposition of any antibody was found in the controls. IF revealed IgG1, IgG3, C1q, C3c, C4d, C4-bp, C5b-9, and CD59 deposits in patients with S-MN, whereas IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, C3c, C4d, MBL, factor B, C4-bp, C5b-9, and CD59 deposits were detected in those with G-MN. There was a higher deposition of IG1, IgG2, and IgG4 in patients with G-MN than in those with S-MN, whereas the intensity of C1q deposits was higher in S-MN than in G-MN patients. In contrast, the intensity of factor B and MBL was higher in G-MN than in S-MN patients. This is the first report of S-MN patients showing complement activation of the classical pathway associated with IgG1 and IgG3 and G-MN patients showing complement activation of both the alternative and lectin pathways associated with IgG2 and IgG4.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Nanakuma 7-45-1, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka City, 814-0180, Japan

    Yoshie Segawa, Satoshi Hisano, Morishige Takeshita & Hiroshi Iwasaki

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka City, Japan

    Yoshie Segawa & Shinichi Hirose

  3. Institute of Glycotechnology and Department of Applied Biochemistry, Tokai University, Hiratsuka, Japan

    Misao Matsushita

  4. Department of Immunology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan

    Teizo Fujita

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  1. Yoshie Segawa
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  2. Satoshi Hisano
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  3. Misao Matsushita
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  4. Teizo Fujita
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  5. Shinichi Hirose
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  6. Morishige Takeshita
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  7. Hiroshi Iwasaki
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Correspondence to Satoshi Hisano.

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Segawa, Y., Hisano, S., Matsushita, M. et al. IgG subclasses and complement pathway in segmental and global membranous nephropathy. Pediatr Nephrol 25, 1091–1099 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-009-1439-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-009-1439-8

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