Fc Receptors Initiate the Arthus Reaction: Redefining the Inflammatory Cascade

TLDR

Antibody‑antigen complexes initiate the inflammatory response and are central to the pathogenesis of tissue injury. The classical Arthus reaction was reinvestigated using a murine strain lacking Fc receptor expression. The study found that in Fc receptor–deficient mice, immune complex–induced inflammation was markedly reduced, indicating that cell‑bound Fc receptors initiate the response, which is then amplified by cellular mediators and complement, thereby redefining the inflammatory cascade and suggesting new therapeutic avenues for immunological injury.

Abstract

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.