AutoAb levels and renal involvement in various congenic mouse strains.

<p>(A) Serum samples from 8 month old female B6, B6.NZBc1, B6.NZBc13, B6.NZBc1c13 and NZB mice were assayed for the presence of total IgM, IgG and IgA as well as IgM, IgG or IgA anti-chromatin, -ssDNA and -dsDNA Ab. (B) Immunofluorescence scores of frozen kidney sections stained with anti-IgG. Sections were graded as follows: grade 0, no or only trace deposits; grade 1, mesangial deposits (B more extensive than A); grade 2, mesangial and segmental capillary wall deposits; grade 3, diffuse mesangial and capillary wall deposits; grade 4, crescents. (C) Glomerular scores of kidneys fixed in formalin, paraffin embedded, sectioned, and stained with PAS. Sections were graded as: grade 0, normal glomeruli; grade 1, mesangial expansion and/or proliferation; grade 2, focal segmental proliferative glomerulonephritis; grade 3, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis; and grade 4, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis with crescents. Each symbol represents the determination from an individual mouse. Horizontal lines indicate the mean for each population examined. The <i>p</i> values for significant differences between the congenic mouse strains are shown above bars, whereas asterisks represent significant differences between the various congenic mice and B6 controls, <i>*p<0.05</i>, <i>**p<0.005</i>, <i>***p<0.0005</i>.