Abstract
An analysis of cell membrane material present in circulating immune complexes isolated from normal human sera by precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been performed with the platelet alloantigen PlA1 and rhesus antigen used as markers. PEG precipitates obtained from the sera of subjects of known PlA1 and rhesus phenotype were resuspended in buffer and analyzed as representative of circulating immune complexes (CIC). The consumption of anti-PlA1 serum by CIC was determined by immunofluorescence and by inhibition of sodium 51chromate release from PlA1-positive target platelets. With these two techniques, PlA1 alloantigen activity was detected in CIC. This finding suggests that at least some of the cell membrane material present in CIC is derived from platelets.