Immunofluorescent localization of the third and the fourth component of complement in synovial tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract

Abstract Synovial tissues obtained by needle biopsy from 8 patients with rheumatoid arthritis of duration from 112 to 31 years were studied with direct immunofluorescent techniques. Tissue localization of 7S γ-globulin (γG) in synovial membranes, synovial margins, and in adventitia of vessels was closely approximated by concurrent staining for the third and the fourth components of complement. Blocking of tissue bound rheumatoid factors with unconjugated aggregates of γG did not diminish the fluorescent patterns obtained with anticomplement component antisera. These findings suggest a different pattern of localization for rheumatoid factors and tissue bound-complement components.