Circulating immune complexes in Yersinia infection.

The occurrence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) was studied in 9 patients with Yersinia arthritis and 7 with Yersinia enteritis (YE) without extraintestinal symptoms by the platelet-iodinated protein A (PIPA) technique and by a solid phase Clq-binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CIC were detected by both techniques in all the patients with Yersinia arthritis during the acute disease and in 3 of them after recovery. CIC were also found in 5 of the 7 patients with uncomplicated YE, suggesting that CIC were associated with YE irrespective of the development of arthritis.