Various kidney diseases are characterized by the presence of dense deposits in the glomeruli. The type(s) of immunoglobulins (Igs) present in the dense deposits are characteristic of the disease. The accurate Identification of the deposits is therefore of utmost diagnostic and prognostic importance. Immunofluorescence (IF) used routinely at the light microscopical level is unable to detect and characterize small deposits found in early stages of glomerulonephritis. Although conventional TEM is able to localize such deposits, it is not capable of determining their nature. It was therefore attempted to immunolabel at EM level IgG, IgA IgM, C3, fibrinogen and kappa and lambda Ig light chains commonly found in glomerular deposits on routinely fixed ( 2% glutaraldehyde (GA) in 0.1M cacodylate buffer) kidney biopsies.The unosmicated tissue was embedded in LR White resin polymerized by UV light at -10°C. A postembedding immunogold technique was employed
Leukocyte adhesion molecules and kidney diseases
