Anti-C1q autoantibodies deposit in glomeruli but are only pathogenic in combination with glomerular C1q-containing immune complexes
J. Clin. Invest. Leendert A. Trouw, et al. 114:679 doi:10.1172/JCI21075 [Go to this article.]

Figure 3
Anti-C1q autoantibodies react with C1q in the glomerulus in a planted antigen–like fashion. (A) C1q sandwich ELISA for serum levels of C1q in naive WT mice, WT mice treated with JL-1, naive Rag2^–/– mice, and Rag2^–/– mice pretreated with PBS or with mouse IgG and then treated with JL-1. (B) Immunofluorescence analysis of renal sections of Rag2^–/– mice, either naive or reconstituted for mouse IgG followed by injection of either JL-1 or PBS. Images show the absence of IgG and C1q in naive Rag2^–/– mice and positivity for IgG and C1q, both mesangially and along the GBM, in IgG-reconstituted mice. The positivity for IgG and C1q is highly increased following administration of JL-1. Original magnification, ×400. (C) Quantification of immunofluorescence analysis of the glomerular deposition of IgG and C1q.