Distribution of basement membrane antigens in glomeruli of mice with autoimmune glomerulonephritis.

Glomerulonephritis was induced in mice by the repeated injection of human glomeruli or purified glomerular basement membrane. The glomerular basement membranes of nephritic animals were observed to develop subepithelial extensions, "spikes." Although normally Type IV collagen is found throughout the full thickness of basement membranes, the "spikes" reacted with antibodies to laminin but not with antibodies to Type IV collagen. It is proposed that in murine autoimmune glomerulonephritis, the visceral epithelial cells produce an excess of laminin.