This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mellencamp, M A Articles by McDonald, T L Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mellencamp, M A Articles by McDonald, T L

Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1987 August; 55(8): 1737-1742

Isolation and characterization of circulating immune complexes from patients with pneumococcal pneumonia.

ABSTRACT

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were isolated from serum samples from patients with bacteremic and nonbacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia. Overall, 63% (26 of 41) of patients with pneumococcal pneumonia had elevated levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG)-containing CIC. IgM-containing CIC were identified in samples from only three patients. Serum samples from nonbacteremic patients contained significantly higher levels of IgG-containing CIC (96.6 +/- 111.7 micrograms/ml) than did samples from bacteremic patients (31.7 +/- 26.9 micrograms/ml) during week 1 in hospital (P less than 0.05). Immune complexes levels did not correlate with IgG concentrations in serum or anticapsular antibody levels. Immune complexes from nonbacteremic patients had sedimentation coefficients of greater than 19s by density gradient ultracentrifugation. In contrast, CIC from bacteremic patients had smaller coefficients, of between 9s and 14s. Pneumococcal capsular antigens were identified in concentrated dissociated CIC from both patient groups by counterimmunoelectrophoresis.