Detection of anti-gamma-globulin factors in human sera by simple screening methods

Development of rheumatoid factor research through 50 years

The discovery of Waaler in 1937 initiated fruitful research on RFs. It was not until the early 1960s that investigators in the field agreed that RFs are antibodies to Fc fragment of IgG. Separate factors combining with human and rabbit IgG and a factor combining with both these IgGs were at first demonstrated by mixed agglutination and then by separation through IgG-conjugated columns. Only RF combining with native autologous IgG should be considered an autoantibody. Other RFs are allo- or heteroantibodies. Cross-reacting RFs that combine with IgG of various species or with IgG and antigens of cell nuclei are of considerable interest. This cross-reactivity may be due to a combining site interacting with shared epitopes or otherwise to multispecificity of the RF molecule in that it has separate or partially overlapping combining sites acting on different epitopes. Experimental studies conducted since the mid-1950s showed that formation of RFs may be elicited by altered autologous IgG. Under natural conditions such alteration was shown to result from interaction of IgG antibody with its corresponding antigen and RF in many infectious diseases and possibly also in rheumatoid arthritis appeared to result from stimulation by immune complexes. More recently alterations of IgG by its reaction with microbial Fc receptors as well as non-specific polyclonal stimulation of B cells were shown to play a role in RF formation. RFs have been implemented in the pathogenicity of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent studies on dispersion of immune complexes in tissue sections by aggregated IgG showed that self-polymerization of IgG RFs results in formation of glomerular deposits in various nephropathies.

Autoantigens in breast cancer tissue

Two antigens in specimens of human breast cancer have been identified as autoantigens. One antigen appears to be an IgG Fc fragment; the other, an IgG Fab fragment. Antibodies in sera of cancer patients directed against these antigens have also been identified. These autoantibodies occur in patients with breast cancer as well as other cancers, and rarely in patients with non-cancerous disease or in people screened in a detection center for breast diseases. The breast cancer patient found to have antibody directed against the IgG Fab antigen falls into a group that has improved two-year survival statistics over groups of patients who lack this antibody.

Evidence of the presence of rheumatoid factor and antibodies reacting with human and rabbit IgA in fluid from non-keratinizing jaw cysts

Fluid from an apical periodontal and a follicular jaw cyst formed, in double diffusion in agarose gel, a continuous precipitin line against IgA isolated from human and rabbit serum, IgA myeloma protein, and secretory IgA. Results of immunoelectrophoresis and absorption experiments indicated that the IgA precipitating factor was an immunoglobulin belonging to the IgM class. Furthermore, the two cyst fluids contained immune complexes, possibly IgA-anti-IgA, which precipitated in agar gel. The same two cyst fluids showed a positive reaction in the Waaler-Rose test with tires of 40 and 80, respectively. A series of the other cyst fluids examined were negative in the Waaler-Rose test. None of the cyst fluids conatined antinuclear antibodies.

Antinuclear factors in rheumatoid arthritis. Increasing organ-non-specificity with increasing reactivity of rheumatoid factor with heterologous gamma globulin

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