Immune complex diseases

Abstract

The formation of circulating antigen-antibody (Ag.Ab) complexes is one of the natural events that characterize the immunologic response against soluble antigens. Normally, immune complexes (IC) formed by soluble proteins and their respective antibodies are promptly eliminated from circulation by phagocytic cells without any detectable adverse effects on the host. However, there are well-characterized clinical and experimental situations in which it has been proven that IC play a pathogenic role.