Elution of antiglobulins and antinuclear antibody from rheumatoid synovial membrane.

Immune factors are currently believed to be important in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid synovitis. Several findings have suggested that immune mechanisms are operative within the rheumatoid joint; these include the detection of antiglobulins and low levels of complement in the synovial fluid (Hannestad and Mellbye, 1967; Ruddy and Austen, 1970), the detection of immunoglobulins and complement within synovial leucocytes (Hurd, LoSpalluto, and Ziff, 1970), and the presence of immune complexes consisting of antiglobulins and IgG in synovial fluid (Winchester, Agnello, and Kunkel, 1970). Furthermore, the synovial membrane in rheumatoid arthritis has also been shown to contain certain immune factors. Rheumatoid factor, immunoglobulins, and complement components have been detected in rheumatoid synovial membrane using immunofluorescent techniques (Bonomo, Tursi, Trizio, Gillardi, and Dammacco, 1970; Kinsella, Baum, and Ziff, 1970). These findings have led to the concept that the deposition of immune complexes within the synovial membrane may initiate or perpetuate the inflammatory process (Zvaifler, 1970). Elution procedures, using either high molarity or acidic buffers, are known to free immune complexes which are bound to certain tissues. Similar methods have been employed to elute and study the immune factors from the glomeruli of immune-induced nephritis (McGiven and Ironside, 1968; Krishnan and Kaplan, 1967; Koffler, Schur, and Kunkel, 1967). We undertook the present study in an attempt to elute and study immune factors present in rheumatoid synovial membrane.