Nonhuman primates can be used as models for the study of immune-complex-associated diseases. Recognizing that very little is known about the levels of circulating immune complexes (CICs) in normal monkeys, we have used three assays to measure the levels in serum collected from 313 adult and 106 juvenile cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis). The prevalence was higher than expected. There was a strong statistical association between CIC levels and country of origin. Monkeys from Indonesia were more likely to have elevated CICs than those from Malaya or the Philippines. This relationship was observed with all three assays. Furthermore, juvenile macaques tended to have lower levels than did adults. This study indicates that it may be important to consider genetic factors, the country of origin, or both when selecting cynomolgus macaques for research on immune-complex-associated diseases.
In view of a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in the Malaysian population, indirect immunofluorescence examination for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was routinely performed on renal biopsy specimen at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, over a 3-year period. Examination of renal tissue from 259 patients, including 47 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), revealed 43 cases with HBsAg in glomerular immune complexes. A significantly high proportion (30/43) of these were SLE patients. The deposits were granular in nature, situated in both the capillary walls and mesangium and associated with immunoglobulin deposition. Morphological patterns of lupus nephritis involved were focal proliferative (one case), diffuse proliferative (23 cases) and membranous (six cases). None of these patients showed clinical evidence of liver disease. The significance of these findings remains uncertain, but the possibility exists that the hepatitis B virus may have a role in the pathogenesis of SLE in the tropics where both SLE and HBs antigenaemia are common.
A panel of five monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the HA1 molecule of the influenza B virus of the Victorian lineage with high virus-neutralizing activity was developed. For identification of the virus neutralizing epitopes in HA1 escape mutants (EM) of the influenza BIShandong/07/97 and B/Malaysia/2506/04 virus were selected using virus- neutralizing antibodies (MAbs). Three EMs had single, two--double and one--triple amino acid substitutions (AAS) in HA1 (H122N, A202E, K203T, K2031, K203N or A317V). In addition, AAS N197S was detected in three EMs. A correlation of AAS identified with peculiarities of interaction of EMs with Mabs was discussed.