Investigations on the binding sites of the basement membrane zone for pemphigoid antibodies in vitro. II. Immunohistochemical reactions of the reactive groups.

In continuing our studies on the characteristics of the antigenic structures of the basement membrane, procedures used in histochemistry for the identification and blocking of reactive groups have been adapted in this present work to the pretreatment of cryostat sections of guinea-pig tongue. These sections have then been studied by the indirect immunofluorescence method. By means or reagents, which produce a reversible extinction of the basement membrane fluorescence produced with pemphigoid sera, it proved possible to determine the existence of certain chemical groupings which bind the anti-basement membrane antibodies, namely: free carboxyl groups deriving from amino acids, hydrogen bridges in which the hydroxyl groups from the carbohydrates in the antigen are probably involved, bonds involving the free aldehydes of the antigen (either cross-links from aldehydes, or formation of Schiff's bases with amino groups of the antibodies), and lastly, to a lesser extent, disulphide bonds. The antigen/antibody reaction probably occurs in the neighbourhood of the alpha-glucosido-beta-galactosido-hydroxylysine. A reaction model has been developed from these findings. There were also some indications that the antigenic structures of the intercellular substance are chemically related to those of the basement membrane. The cell nucleus antigens, on the other hand, appear to possess different chemical properties.