Fc Receptors Initiate the Arthus Reaction: Redefining the Inflammatory Cascade

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 265; no. 5175; pp. 1095 - 1098
• Main Authors: Sylvestre, Diana L., Ravetch, Jeffrey V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 19-08-1994; American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antigen antibody complex; Antigen-Antibody Complex - immunology; Arthus reaction; Arthus Reaction - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; Complement System Proteins - immunology; Edema; Fc receptors; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Inflammation; Mast cells; Mast Cells - immunology; Mice; Molecular and cellular biology; Neutrophils; Neutrophils - physiology; Ova; Receptors; Receptors, Fc - immunology; Receptors, IgG - immunology; Arthus phenomenon(reaction); Vertebrata; Immunoglobulins; Mammalia; Fc-Fragment; Mouse; Rodentia; Inflammation; Immune deficiency; Mechanism; Immune complex; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.8066448

Antibody-antigen complexes initiate the inflammatory response and are central to the pathogenesis of tissue injury. The classical model for this immunopathological cascade, the Arthus reaction, was reinvestigated with a murine strain deficient in Fc receptor expression. Despite normal inflammatory responses to other stimuli, the inflammatory response to immune complexes was markedly attenuated. These results suggest that immune complex-triggered inflammation is initiated by cell bound Fc receptors and is then amplified by cellular mediators and activated complement. These results redefine the inflammatory cascade and may offer other approaches for the study and treatment of immunological injury.