Binding of native and denatured collagen to immunoglobulins and cold insoluble globulin in serum of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Native and denatured 125-I-collagen were reacted with sera from 366 patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. Complexes consisting of native or denatured collagen and immunoglobulins or of denatured collagen and cold insoluble globulin were precipitated with secondary antibodies to either immunoglobulins or CIG. Only approximately 10% of the patients' sera bound more than 5 ng native collagen/10 microliter serum. Binding of denatured collagen to immunoglobulins occurred more frequently and in larger amounts. Binding of denatured collagen to CIG was determined in some of the sera and found to occur in all of them and in substantial amounts. Some of the subjects developed pathergic reactions upon subsequent infusion of a gelatin based plasma substitute. There was no correlation between the severity of such adverse reactions and any of the parameters measured. Therefore, the observed clinical reactions are not likely to be caused by true immunological mechanisms.