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Immunoglobulins in Temporal Arteries
An Immunofluorescent Study
Abstract
Immunofluorescent studies were done on 15 consecutive temporal artery biopsy specimens and on control specimens obtained from 10 patients after they died from unrelated diseases. Four different patterns of immunoglobulin deposition were seen. "Cytoplasmic" and "elastic" patterns occurred together only in three patients with histologic giant cell arteritis; these patterns were not seen in control specimens. "Nuclear" deposition was seen in three patients who had circulating antinuclear antibodies. The "linear" pattern was nonspecific, because it was found in both patient and control specimens. These findings parallel those of other forms of vasculitis, which suggests that antibodies participate in the pathogenesis of giant cell arteritis. The immunoglobulins in these vessels may be antibodies to a component of the arterial wall (presumably elastin), or they may result from deposition of circulating immune complexes.
Article and Author Information
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▸From the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
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Grant support: training grant AM5602, National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases; grant RR37, National Institutes of Health; and an Arthritis Clinical Research Center grant, Arthritis Foundation.
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Peter A. Simkin, M.D., Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195.
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- Received March 18, 1974.
- Accepted March 29, 1974.
