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Interaction of fucoidan with the proteins of the complement classical pathway.

Fucoidan inhibits complement by mechanisms that so far remain to be unraveled, and the objective of this work was to delineate the mode of inhibition by this sulfated polysaccharide. For that purpose, low molecular weight fractions of algal (Ascophyllum nodosum) fucoidan containing the disaccharide unit [-->3)-alpha-L-Fuc(2SO3(-))-(1-->4)-alpha-L-Fuc(2,3diSO3(-))-(1-->](n) have been studied. Gel co-affinity electrophoresis and a new affinity capillary electrophoresis (ACE) method have been implemented to characterize fucoidan-complement protein complexes. Fucoidan binds C1q, likely to its collagen-like region through interactions involving lysine residues, and then prevents the association of the C1r(2)-C1s(2) subunit, required to form the fully active C1. In addition to C1q, fucoidan forms a complex with the protein C4 as observed by ACE. The fucoidan inhibits the first steps of the classical pathway activation that is of relevance in view of the proinflammatory effects of the subsequent products of the cascade. This study shows that a high level of inhibitory activity can be achieved with low molecular weight carbohydrate molecules and that the potential applicability of fucoidan oligosaccharides for therapeutic complement inhibition is worthy of consideration.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents↗

[Genetics of complement: recent aspects (author's transl)].

Genetic deficiencies of complement proteins are now more often recognized and analysed more precisely because the structure of the different complement proteins is better known. Partial defects may be detected in some components by the combined utilization of titration techniques, polymorphism studies and linkage analyses. The partial deficiency in C4 seems to be the most frequent protein deficiency in the human. The complement markers on the short arm of the sixth chromosome in man (BF, C2, C4A and C4B) are located in close proximity to the HLA-D/DR region. The combined study of the complement and HLA markers will probably allow the fine structure of the HLA region to be better defined. The association of some diseases with HLA types will probably also be better specified by the definition of associations not only with HLA-B or HLA-D types but also with the BF, C2 and C4 types.

Animals↗

Hereditary angioneurotic edema: review of the literature.

Congenital C1-inhibitor deficiency, or hereditary angioneurotic edema (HAE), is a rare autosomal dominant disease due to alterations in the C1 inhibitor gene that results in a deficiency of antigenic and/or functional C1-INH. Affected patients are heterozygous, and their deficiency is incomplete, many of them having up to 20% of the normal amount of the inhibitor. The disease is characterised by recurrent, circumscribed, non-pitting, and non-pruritic subepithelial swellings of sudden onset, which fade during the course of 48-72 hours, but can persist up to 1 week. Lesions can be solitary or multiple and primarily involve the extremities, larynx, face, and bowel wall. Bradykinin is believed to be the main, but certainly not the sole, mediator responsible for the bouts of edema in HAE. The diagnosis is suggested by family history, the lack of accompanying pruritus or urticaria, the presence of recurrent gastrointestinal attacks of colics, and episodes of laryngeal edema. Diminished C4 concentrations during symptomatic periods are highly suggestive for the diagnosis. Further laboratory diagnosis depends on demonstrating a deficiency of C1-INH antigen (type I) in most kindreds, but some kindreds have an antigenically intact but dysfunctional protein (type II) and require a functional assay to establish the diagnosis. Prophylactic administration of either attenuated androgens or protease inhibitors has proved useful in reducing frequency or severity of attacks. Infusions of a vapour-heated C1-INH concentrate are safe and effective means of both preventing and treating attacks. Nevertheless, this treatment is expensive and this extract is not readily available. It is emphasised that administration of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors is contraindicated in patients suffering from protease inhibitor deficiency states.

Androgens↗

Structure and regulation of the C1 inhibitor gene.

C1 esterase inhibitor is a M(r) approximately 105,000 glycoprotein and the sole regulation of the activities of C1r and C1s. As such, it plays an extremely important role in the regulation of the classical complement pathway. Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is the clinical manifestation of C1INH deficiency. Two types of HAE have been described. Type I HAE is characterized by low antigenic and functional levels of C1INH, while Type II HAE is characterized by normal or increased antigenic levels of C1INH with low levels of functionally active protein. C1INH is encoded by a single gene on chromosome 11. The C1INH gene consists of 8 exons and 7 introns and is approximately 1.7 x 10(4) base pairs in length. Expression of C1INH in vivo is enhanced by androgens. In vitro studies indicate that C1INH mRNA and protein levels are increased by up to 20 fold after stimulation with interferon-gamma (gamma-IFN) and to a lesser extent in response to alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and monocyte colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In this chapter, we will discuss the structure of the C1INH gene and mechanisms of its regulation as well as some of the elements which may contribute to its transcriptional regulation.

Angioedema↗

Role for the third constant domain of the IgG H chain in activation of complement in the presence of C1 inhibitor.

The multidomain architecture of Ig H chains was initially implicated in the variety of functions imposed on each species of Ig. However, the activation of C by IgG is the only function that has been attributed to a single domain of C gamma 2, whereas most of other functions of IgG require both C gamma 2 and C gamma 3 domains. This one domain-one function relationship in the C activation by IgG, too, was questioned recently by the fact that a C gamma 3-less fragment of rabbit IgG, F(acb)2, is definitely less capable of activating C than intact IgG. Here we reexamined capacities of F(acb)2 to bind and activate C1 in the presence and absence of C1 inhibitor (C1-In) in comparison with intact IgG, by using SRBC sensitized with these proteins (EFacb, EIgG). At an ionic strength of 0.065 and 37 degrees C, where C1q was bound equally well by these cells and the dissociation was limited, C1s, presumably in the form of C1r2C1s2, dissociated from EFacb at a rate 7-fold greater than that from EIgG, irrespective of the presence or absence of C1-In. A physiologic concentration of C1-In reduced the rate of C1 activation by EFacb to 5% that by EIgG. The results present evidence that the C gamma 3 domain, too, plays a crucial part in the C1 activation process by stabilizing the zymogenic conformation of C1 and protecting it from the attack by C1 inhibitor.

Animals↗

Autoantibody facilitated cleavage of C1-inhibitor in autoimmune angioedema.

C1-inhibitor (C1-Inh) is an important inhibitor of the inflammatory response and deficiency of this inhibitor, which may be hereditary or acquired, is associated with recurrent episodes of edema. Recently, an autoimmune form of angioedema has been described that is associated with functional deficiency of C1-Inh and an autoantibody that impedes C1-Inh function. In this report we describe the isolation of C1-Inh from the monocytes and plasma of a patient with autoimmune angioedema and demonstrate that the patient's monocytes secrete structurally and functionally normal C1-Inh, but show that this protein circulates in the patient's plasma in an inactive, structurally altered form. Furthermore, using analytic gel electrophoresis techniques it is demonstrated that the patient's autoantibody facilitates cleavage of normal C1-Inh, by its target proteases, to the same species of C1-Inh that is found circulating in the patient's plasma. This autoantibody facilitated cleavage of normal C1-Inh is apparently a consequence of destabilization of protease/inhibitor complexes. These findings contribute to our understanding of protease/C1-Inh interactions and document important observations on pathogenic mechanisms in autoimmune disease.

Angioedema↗

Functional effects of domain deletions in a multidomain serine protease, C1r.

The C1r subcomponent of the first component of complement is a complex, multidomain glycoprotein containing five regulatory or binding modules in addition to the serine protease domain. To reveal the functional role of the N-terminal regulatory domains, two deletion mutants of C1r were constructed. One mutant comprises the N-terminal half of domain I joined to the second half of the highly homologous domain III, resulting in one chimeric domain in the N-terminal region, instead of domains I-III. In the second mutant most of the N-terminal portion of domain I was deleted. Both deletion mutants were expressed in the baculovirus-insect cell expression system with yields typical of wild type C1r. Both mutants maintained the ability of the wild type C1r to dimerize. The folding and secretion of the recombinant proteins was not affected by these deletions, and C1-inhibitor binding was not impaired. The stability of the zymogen was significantly decreased however, indicating that the N-terminal region of the C1r molecule contains essential elements involved in the control of activation of the serine protease module. Tetramer formation with C1s in the presence of Ca2+ was abolished by both deletions. We suggest that the first domain of C1r is essential for tetramer formation, since the deletion of domain I from C1r impairs this interaction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Complement component C5: engineering of a mutant that is specifically cleaved by the C4-specific C1s protease.

Previous studies showed that simply inserting or substituting a few amino acid residues immediately downstream of the proteolytic activation site in C component C3 renders that site susceptible to the C4-specific C1s protease. This report describes the results of extending those studies to the closely related component C5. We found that small changes, similar to those that made C3 susceptible to C1s, were insufficient to render C5 C1s-sensitive; and neither more extensive substitution downstream of the cleavage site with a 14 residue long segment from C4, nor upstream substitution with an 8 residue long C4 segment gave C1s cleavage. However, substitution of both the upstream and downstream segments gave a hybrid C5 protein, designated ASC4, which was cleaved by C1s. The protease sensitivity of ASC4 was curious, however, in that C1s was more active against the secreted extracellular biosynthetic precursor, pro-ASC4(E) than mature ASC4, whereas a C5-specific convertase cleaved the mature protein but not the precursor. In contrast, both mature and precursor forms of wild-type C5 were cleaved by the C5 convertase, but neither of course is recognized by C1s. These results demonstrate that a mutant C5 molecule can be constructed that is cleaved at the activation site by both C1s and C5 convertase. This suggests that the structures necessary for specific recognition by the two proteases have little or no overlap and that recognition by C5 convertase involves residues that are distant from the activation site itself.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

C1q inhibitor (chondroitin-4-sulfate proteoglycan): structure and function.

The serum C1q inhibitor (C1q INH) is a chondroitin 4-sulfate proteoglycan which is composed of several polyanionic components ranging in size from 21-750 kDa. Although the activity of C1q INH has been described in terms of its ability to precipitate C1q and inhibit its hemolytic activity, not much is known about either the mechanisms of its action or its role in health and disease. This report provides evidence that a 30 kDa core protein component of the proteoglycan macromolecule contains most of the C1q inhibitory activity. This inhibitory activity occurs as a result of C1q INH binding to the C1q "heads" (gC1q) as well as to the collagen "tail" (cC1q). What may be more significant in terms of perpetuation of inflammatory processes is the ability of C1q INH to moderately activate the classical pathway leading to C2 and C4 consumption. The binding of C1q INH to C1q is enhanced at low ionic strength, but significant binding does occur under physiologic conditions which makes it likely for the inhibitor to participate in inflammatory processes especially in microenvironments of high inhibitor concentration. Such elevated concentration does occur in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus either as a result of unregulated proteoglycan synthesis or disturbances in connective tissue metabolism. Another important function of serum C1q INH is its ability to prolong the clotting time of plasma and fibrinogen solutions containing or lacking CaCl2. This potent anticoagulant activity is again displayed by the 30 kDa putative protein core which specifically binds to both the E and D domains of fibrinogen. However, the epitope(s) on the 30 kDa which binds to C1q appears to be distinct from that which binds to fibrinogen. The known presence of proteoglycans on the basement membranes and other sites may explain at least in part the presence of fibrinogen in atheromatous lesions. Furthermore, by binding to fibrinogen, soluble C1q INH-and C1q-C1q INH complexes may limit fibrin gelation in inflammatory and tissue repair microenvironments.

Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans↗

C1 inhibitor functional deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

C1 inhibitor (C1-inh) was assayed in eight SLE patients presenting with consistently low levels of intact C4. C1-inh antigenic levels were normal in all patients; however, the function of the C1-inh tested against C1s and C1r was variable and outside the normal functional range in seven of the eight patients. The molecular weight of patients' C1-inh protein was 105 kD, corresponding to the size of the intact molecule. The C1-inh gene was analysed in all patients. Restriction fragments generated with TaqI, PstI and HgiAI gave no indication of a major C1-inh gene rearrangement. Direct genomic sequencing of exon VIII revealed three polymorphic point mutations, but there were no changes from the normal gene in or around the reactive-centre residue of C1-inh. Furthermore, we found no evidence for a C1-inh autoantibody in patients which could affect normal C1-inh function in vitro. These results indicate that the etiology of C1-inh dysfunction in SLE is heterogeneous and distinct from that reported in either hereditary or acquired angioedema.

Base Sequence↗

A familial case of hereditary angioneurotic edema in Japan.

A 53-year-old man was admitted with impairment of breathing following laryngeal edema. Serum levels of CH50 (22 U/ml), C4 (3 mg/dl), C1-INH protein (10.6 mg/dl) and C1-INH activity (LT 25%) were low. Complement study of the patient's family members revealed that he was one of 5 patients in 3 generations with hereditary angioneurotic edema (HANE). Administration of the androgen derivatives Danazol (600 mg/day) and Oxymetholone (30 mg/day) effectively increased serum levels of C1-INH activity and C4. Though eruption and hepatic dysfunction attributable to administration of the drugs appeared, these side effects improved after withdrawal of the drugs. Subsequently, the treatment with Danazol at a low dose (100 mg/day) was resumed, and the patient has had no episodes of edema for the past 3 years. Regarding the familial cases of HANE, fewer than 20 have been reported in Japan.

Angioedema↗

Hereditary angioedema: its diagnostic and management perspectives.

Although hereditary angioedema accounts for only a small fraction of all cases of angioedema, it is the most common genetically linked clinical disorder caused by the deficiency of a protein associated with complement activation. Attacks may be complicated by incapacitating cutaneous swelling, life-threatening upper airway impediment, and severe gastrointestinal colic. Recent physicochemical and genetic studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of the structure of the inhibitor protein. Measurement of serum C4 titer is an efficacious screening test. Normal levels during symptomatic periods rule out the diagnosis, whereas decreased levels warrant determination of C1 esterase inhibitor titer by immunoassay or functional assay. The functional assay is necessary to ascertain the genetic variant form. The importance of making the correct diagnosis cannot be overemphasized. It can avert potentially fatal consequences, such as upper airway obstruction and unnecessary abdominal surgery. The application of short-term preventive measures can avoid complications associated with trauma. Finally, abatement or elimination of symptoms in patients with incessant and disabling attacks can be attained by long-term therapy with currently available attenuated androgens.

Angioedema↗

Anti-ischemia/reperfusion of C1 inhibitor in myocardial cell injury via regulation of local myocardial C3 activity.

C3 is common to all pathways of complement activation augmenting ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction. Complement inhibition with the complement regulatory protein, C1 inhibitor (C1INH), obviously exerts cardioprotective effects. Here, we examine whether C1INH regulates C3 activity in the ischemic myocardial tissue. C1INH markedly suppressed C3 mRNA expression and protein synthesis in both a model of I/R-induced rat acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the cultured rat H9c2 heart myocytes. At least, this regulation was at the transcriptional level in response to oxygen tension. In vitro, C3 deposition on, and binding to, the surface of rat myocardial cells were significantly blocked by C1INH treatment. C1INH could inhibit classical complement-mediated cell lysis via suppressing the biological activity of C3. Therefore, C1INH, in addition to inhibition of the systemic complement activation, prevents myocardial cell injury via a direct inhibitory role in the local myocardial C3 activity.

Animals↗

Hereditary angioedema with normal C1-inhibitor activity in women.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a well defined autosomal dominant disease (Mendelian Inheritance in Man #106100) that results from an inherited deficiency of C1 (the activated first component of complement) inhibitor function. We report an unusual variant of HAE with normal biochemical C1-inhibitor function, occurring only in women. METHODS: We screened 574 patients with recurrent angioedema of the skin for presence of HAE. 283 patients were selected, in whom angioedema was associated with abdominal pain attacks or recurrent life-threatening episodes of upper-airway obstruction, or both, rather than with urticaria. We measured C1-inhibitor concentration and functional activity as well as complement C4 concentration and took pedigrees to characterise patients. FINDINGS: 94 HAE cases with C1-inhibitor deficiency, positive family history, or both were identified. Biochemical testing showed that 84 patients from 49 families had a functional C1-inhibitor deficiency. 11 of these patients had no affected family members (probably representing de-novo mutations). Ten women with HAE, from ten families, had normal C1-inhibitor protein concentrations and function, and normal C4 concentration. A more detailed study of these families identified another 26 affected members, who were also all women. Of those women, 14 could be studied and also had normal C1-inhibitor concentration and function. The disease was seen in successive generations, and in offspring of affected mothers, the sex ratio (M/F) was shifted to 1/1.5. INTERPRETATION: HAE with normal C1-inhibitor concentration and function represents a unique genetic disease arising only in women. The formal genetics of this entity are suggestive of an X-linked dominant mode of inheritance. For this disorder we propose the term hereditary angioedema type 3 (HAE III).

Abdominal Pain↗

Activation of the classical pathway of complement by tobacco glycoprotein (TGP).

Tobacco glycoprotein (TGP), a polyphenol-rich glycoprotein isolated from tobacco leaves, activates the classical complement pathway through a mechanism that appears to involve direct interaction with C1q. A binding site on C1q for TGP can be localized by competitive inhibition with DNA to a region located in the junction between the collagen-like and globular regions of the molecule. A protein with activity similar to TGP has also been isolated from cigarette smoke condensate (TGP-S); it shares a binding site on C1q with TGP and has similar functional activity, with the exception that complement activation does not proceed to formation of a C3 cleaving enzyme. The ability of TGP and TGP-S to activate complement can be partially duplicated using polyphenols associated with tobacco leaf and smoke, i.e., chlorogenic acid and rutin. These polyphenols also compete with TGP for a binding site on immobilized C1q, suggesting that the polyphenol portion of TGP is critical for activation of complement. These results provide an additional mechanism for complement activation by cigarette products that, in vivo, could result in a localized complement depletion, generation of biologically active complement cleavage products, and initiation of an inflammatory response.

Complement Activation↗

A solid-phase antibody capture assay for the measurement of C1-inhibitor consumption in vivo.

C1-inhibitor (C1-Inh) is a serine esterase proteinase inhibitor (serpin) which plays an important role in regulating serine proteinases of the early inflammatory response. In this study, we describe a novel and versatile polyclonal antibody capture assay to examine C1-Inh consumption in vivo. This assay has advantages over previously described methods of measuring C1-Inh consumption as it allows the assessment of the relative amounts of native, complexed and cleaved inhibitor circulating in plasma. By using polyclonal antibodies specific for other complement proteins, the C1-Inh capture assay was adapted to measure in vivo activation of C3, C4 and factor B. C1-Inh consumption and complement activation were examined in the plasma of 21 normal individuals, 24 individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), nine individuals with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and in the paired plasma and synovial fluid from 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The C1-Inh capture assay revealed native, cleaved and complexed C1-Inh migrating at 115 kDa, 96 kDa and 209-225 kDa respectively, in normal plasma. C1-Inh consumption was increased in the plasma of all the inflammatory disorders examined, in comparison to normal plasma. It is proposed that this serpin capture assay could be adapted to the study of serpin involvement in a wide variety of inflammatory disorders.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Replacement therapy in hereditary angioedema: successful treatment of acute episodes of angioedema with partly purified C1 inhibitor.

Although considerable progress has been made during the past two decades in the use of androgens to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema, replacement of the deficient C1-inhibitor protein would provide a useful menas of treatment once an attack has begun. We studied the clinical use of C1 inhibitor that was partly purified on a large scale from pooled plasma. The in vivo efficacy and safety of this protein concentrate were evaluated during 11 intravenous infusions in eight patients with hereditary angioedema. Three patients received the C1-inhibitor preparation during an asymptomatic period. Increases in serum C4 activity provided evidence of the biologic activity of the infused inhibitor. Intravenous administration of the concentrate during acute abdominal or laryngeal attacks of hereditary angioedema in five patients resulted in abatement of symptoms in addition to increased serum C4 activity. No untoward effects of the intravenous administration of the C1 inhibitor were observed in these eight patients. Thus, this C1-inhibitor preparation seems to offer the potential for safe, effective replacement therapy and may provide a means of controlling an attack of hereditary angioedema that is in progress.

Angioedema↗

The contact activation system: biochemistry and interactions of these surface-mediated defense reactions.

This review is intended to be a critical state-of-the-art overview of the activation and inhibition of the proteins (factor XII, prekallikrein, high molecular weight kininogen, and factor XI) of the contact phase of coagulation. Specifically, this review will reconsider the concept of the reciprocal activation of the proteases of the contact phase of coagulation, factor XII, and prekallikrein, in light of much recent evidence indicating that factor XII, itself, autoactivates when associated with negatively charged surfaces. In addition, the mechanisms for amplification of activation of the proteins of the contact phase of coagulation will be discussed from the pivotal role of high molecular weight kininogen, or one of its altered forms, serving as a cofactor to order the activation of the zymogens it is associated with. The role and relative importance of each of the naturally occurring plasma protease inhibitors (C1-inhibitor, alpha-2-macroglobulin, alpha-1-antitrypsin, antithrombin III, and alpha-1-antiplasmin) will be assessed as they relate to the dampening of contact phase activation. Finally, the contact phase of coagulation activation will be discussed not only as a plasma proteolytic mechanism, but also as it interacts with platelets.

Blood Coagulation↗