Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol 148, 903-914, Copyright © 1978 by Rockefeller University Press
The effect of complement on the ingestion of soluble antigen-antibody complexes and IgM aggregates by mouse peritoneal macrophages
JL van Snick and PL Masson
Complement was found to stimulate markedly the ingestion of soluble
antigen-antibody complexes by mouse peritoneal macrophages. This was shown
indirectly by measuring the release of degradation products when the
complexes were labeled with 125I, or directly when the antigen, that was
human transferrin, was labeled with 59Fe. In this case, the metal which was
released from human transferrin inside the cells was not excreted, and its
accumulation in the macrophages was a direct index of the uptake of immune
complexes. The decay of radioactivity in macrophages after ingestion of
125I-labeled complexes was similar when they were taken up with or without
complement, indicating that complement acts primarily on ingestion and not
on digestion or excretion. The ingestion of complexes was morphologically
confirmed using fluorescein-labeled antigen in the immune complexes. The
opsonic effect of complement was also observed with IgM aggregates
indicating that soluble complexes can be ingested through complement
receptors without involvement of Fc-receptors, as required for particulate
antigen-antibody complexes.
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