[Action of oral contraceptives on circulating immune complexes (author's transl)].

3 methods for immune complex detection were used on 85 women who took oral contraceptives (OCs) and on 21 who took none in order to test their sera for circulating immune complexes (CICs). The methods used were ammonium sulphate precipitation as proposed by Beaumont et al polyethylene glycol precipitation and the J-Clq fixation text. A significant rise in precipitable proteins in excess of anything recorded from women taking no OCs was established from the OC group only by means of a 25% ammonium sulphate precipitation. No significant difference between the 2 groups was recorded by means of the J-Clq fixation test a technique more specific of immune complexes. The conclusion therefore was drawn that the proteins which had caused a rise in ammonium sulphate precipitation had been proteins of unspecific precipitability rather than immune complexes. Findings thus far obtained are likely to suggest that administration of OCs will hardly induce the formation of CICs. (authors modified) (summary in ENG)