Elevated antigalactosyl antibody titers reflect renal injury after gold or D-penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis

Titers of circulating antigalactosyl antibodies (a-Gal Ab) were assessed by
passive hemagglutination using rabbit red blood cells in 40 normal subjects, in
14 patients with immunodeficient states, in 47 patients with active rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), and in 15 patients with an Henoch-Schonlein disease (HS). Titers
of controls ranged from 1:16 to 1:64. All immunodeficient patients exhibited very
low titers (1:1). On the contrary, the existence of an enhanced humoral immune
response status, as observed in RA, was not reflected by a parallel increase of
a-Gal Ab titers. However, in this disease, a strong relationship existed between
titers exceeding control values (greater than 1:64) and the prior occurrence of
renal injury under gold or D-penicillamine therapy. Lastly, the discovery of
elevated titers (greater than 1:64) in HS only when renal involvement occurred
further suggests that such antibodies reflect a renal injury.