Summary
It has been shown that rabbit anti-HGBM serum and rabbit anti-DGBM serum produce a nephritis in dogs which is indistinguishable using urinary, biochemical or histopathologic criteria. This leads to the conclusion that one or more similar or identical nephrotoxic antigen(s) is present in HGBM and DGBM preparations of the homogeneity herein described.
There is likewise one or more similar or identical CF antigen(s) in HGBM and DGBM preparations. The CF and nephrotoxic antigen(s) may not be identical. If not, there are at least two distinct immunologically similar or identical antigens present in HGBM and DGBM.
There is urinary and histopathologic evidence of nephritis by at least 20 hr following a single intravenous or intracardiac injection of either antiserum.
Biochemically, there is usually evidence of decreased serum albumin and increased serum cholesterol and frequently variable degrees of nitrogen retention. Such changes are similar in both groups of antiserum.
The mechanism of the disease is briefly discussed. The fact that an initial mild nephritis may develop into a more marked nephritis in about 6 to 8 days suggests the possibility of a summation of two independent antigen-antibody reactions. An alternative view is that the initial insult produces a variable onset and course, and the lesion slowly becomes progressive itself without requiring a superimposed second antigen-antibody reaction.
Footnotes
This work has been supported (in part) by Research Grant H-4785 from the National Heart Institute of the National Institute of Health, U. S. Public Health Service, and the Schering Corporation.
