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Reversed passive arthus reaction using horseradish peroxidase as antigen

II. Light and Electron Microscopical Observations

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Summary

A mild reversed passive Arthus reaction (RPAR) was induced by administering to a single rabbit 8 intracutaneous injections of antiserum and one intravenous injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as antigen. Biopsy material from Arthus lesions taken 20 min, 2 and 8 h after induction of the RPAR were examined with both the light and the electron microscope.

The most striking finding was the deposition of HRP-anti-HRP immune complexes within the walls and to a lesser extent in the vicinity and within the lumina of small blood vessels most of which were venules. Adherence of immune complexes to various cell membranes and frequently to collagen fibrils was another interesting observation. Phagocytosis and digestion of immune complexes seemed to take place mainly within neutrophils.

There was only very little damage to vascular and other structures despite of the intra- and perivascular accumulation of quite a number of inflammatory cells most of which were neutrophils.

This study demonstrates that the process of clearing the tissue from immune complexes can take place with clinically recognisable symptoms being scanty or entirely absent.

Zusammenfassung

Wir lösten eine milde umgekehrte passive Arthus-Reaktion aus, indem wir bei einem einzigen Kaninchen an 8 verschiedenen Stellen intracutan Antiserum und anschließend Meerrettich-Peroxidase (HRP) i.v. injizierten. Von den Arthus-Herden wurden nach 20 min, 2 und 8 Std Probebiopsien entnommen und sowohl mit dem Licht- als auch mit dem Elektronenmikroskop untersucht.

Das auffallendste Ereignis war die Ablagerung von HRP-Anti-HRP Immunkomplexen in den Wänden und in geringerem Maß in der Umgebung und in den Lumina kleinerer Blutgefäße. Venolen waren am häufigsten betroffen. Interessant war die Beobachtung, daß sich Immunkomplexe an die Zellmembranen verschiedener Zellen und oft auch an Kollagenfibrillen anlagerten. Phagocytose und Abbau von Immunkomplexen schienen hauptsächlich im Cytoplasma von Neutrophilen vor sich zu gehen. Blutgefäße und andere Gewebe waren strukturell nur wenig verändert trotz einer nicht geringen Zahl von Entzündungszellen, unter denen die Neutrophilen vorherrschten.

Diese Untersuchung zeigt, wie Gewebe von Immunkomplexen befreit werden kann, ohne daß auffallende klinische Symptome auftreten.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig Maximilians-Universität, München, FRG

    K. Weber, H. Ueki, H. H. Wolff & O. Braun-Falco

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  1. K. Weber
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  2. H. Ueki
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  3. H. H. Wolff
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  4. O. Braun-Falco
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Additional information

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Presented in part at the 3rd Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research, Amsterdam, April 1973.

Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung; present address: Dept. of Dermatology, Okayama University Medical School, Okayama, Japan.

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Weber, K., Ueki, H., Wolff, H.H. et al. Reversed passive arthus reaction using horseradish peroxidase as antigen. Arch. Derm. Forsch. 250, 15–32 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00558893

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00558893

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