The glomerular complement receptor in immunologically mediated renal glomerular injury.

We examined 25 renal-biopsy specimens to determine whether there is a relation between immunologically mediated renal diseases and the activity of complement receptors that selectively bind antigen-antibody complexes containing activated third component of complement (C3b). These receptors have been termed glomerular complement receptors. Renal lesions associated with in vivo deposition were associated with a loss of receptor sites as demonstrated by reduced or absent in vitro binding of C3b-coated test reagents by glomerular complement receptor. These findings suggest that binding of complement containing immune complexes to glomerular complement receptors in human subjects may participate in the immunopathologic processes of certain immune-complex-mediated renal diseases.