Serial studies of circulating immune complexes in poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.

Levels of circulating immune complexes were determined in 30 children who suffered from acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. The study was started in the acute phase of the disease and continued for one year. Raji cell radioimmune assay was used for the detection of immune complexes. The patients had significantly elevated levels of immune complexes during the acute phase, especially in the first three days after the onset of hematuria. Six months later the levels of immune complexes declined to slightly elevated levels, and nine months after the initial attack, no immune complexes were detectable. However, the patients who had persistent hematuria and proteinuria continued to have detectable immune complexes during this time.