Gold nephropathy. Ultrastructural, fluorescent, and energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis study

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5307702

Ainsworth, S K; Swain, R P; Watabe, N; Brackett, Jr, N C; Pilia, P; Hennigar, G R

The nephrotic syndrome developed in a patient receiving therapy with gold for rheumatoid arthritis. The results of a histopathological examination of the renal biopsy specimen were unremarkable. Immunofluorescent studies showed deposits of immunoglobulins and C3 in a granular pattern in the glomerular basement membranes. Ultrastructurally, the discrete osmiophilic immune complexes were epimembranous. By x-ray microanalysis, gold that was complexed with sulfur was present in proximal tubular cytoplasmic vacuoles and nuclei. Gold and sulfur could not be demonstrated in glomerular epimembranous deposits. The results of these studies suggest that immune complex deposition does not involve gold and sulfur acting as haptens. Gold-salt therapy may result in damage to proximal tubules that leak renal tubular antigens, which in turn complex with autoantibody and produce an autoimmune membranous nephropathy. The evidence for this mechanism is not convincing. Although the data indicate an immune-complex cause for gold-salt nephropathy, the incident antigen (or antigens) and mechanism of action remain unidentified.

• OSTI ID: 5307702
• Journal Information: Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med.; (United States) Vol. 105:7; ISSN APLMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY REACTIONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOPSY
BODY
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CELL MEMBRANES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMOTHERAPY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
GOLD
HISTOLOGY
KIDNEYS
MEMBRANES
METALS
NEPHRITIS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
ORGANS
PATHOLOGY
PATIENTS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RHEUMATIC DISEASES
SKELETAL DISEASES
THERAPY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS