Nephritogenic glycoprotein. VIII. Demonstration of the limited role of immune complex mechanism for the production of membranous glomerulonephritis.

Proliferative glomerulonephritis was induced in rats by a single injection in the hind footpads of the glycoprotein isolated from pronase digests of homologous renal cortex, in spite of the evidence that the glycoprotein no longer possessed the antigenic activity with respect to producing the nephrotoxic antibody. In rats given the glycoprotein (without trichloroacetic acid (TCA) treatment) prepared from pronase digests of homologous renal cortex, morphologic changes of proliferative glomerulonephritis were followed (3--4 months after injection) by those of typical membranous glomerulonephritis with an immunofluorescent 'granular' pattern, but in animals which received the glycoprotein (with TCA treatment), the morphologic changes of the kidney were those of proliferative glomerulonephritis with an immunofluorescent 'mesangial' pattern throughout the whole course. Morphologic changes of membranous glomerulonephritis induced in the group given the glycoprotein (without TCA treatment) can be explained by an immune-complex mechanism, superimposed on the basic pathogenesis (common to both groups) of proliferative glomerulonephritis with immunofluorescent 'mesangial' pattern.