PRESENCE OF COVALENT BONDS BETWEEN IMMUNE DEPOSITS AND OTHER MACROMOLECULES IN MURINE RENAL GLOMERULI

Microscopic studies have suggested that immune deposits persist for a long time in subepithelial areas of renal glomeruli in human diseases and in experimental models. This study showed quantitatively that in a n experimental murine model radiolabelled antibodies in subepithelial immune deposits remained constant for 9 months at about 3 mu g/mouse. The extraction of these antibodies was incomplete with 1% SDS at 8 mon ths after immune deposit formation. Furthermore, in the extracted mate rial some antibodies were covalently bound to other molecules. This st udy demonstrates that covalent bond formation contributes to the persi stence of immune deposits in renal glomeruli.