Heterologous specificity of reticulin RS antibodies.

Reticulin antibodies were detected by the indirect immunofluorescence technique in 1450 sera from miscellaneous patients. R1 pattern on human and rat tissues was found only in 2 cases with adult coeliac disease. Reticulin Rs staining, involving intrasinusoidal cells of rat liver as well as interstitial and endothelial structures of various rat tissues, was demonstrated in 3.7% of cases, without correlation with gastro-intestinal or skin disorders. Rs pattern, due to IgG antibodies, could be absorbed by rat erythrocytes. Only Rs positive sera showed high titres of anti-rat IgG-type hemoagglutinins. Rat RBC agglutinating activity was demonstrated by a modified indirect Coomb's test. Heterologous Rs antibodies appear unrelated to particular diseases and should not be mistaken for the R1 and R2 patterns, which may be useful for diagnostic procedures.