A molecular approach to the complement system.
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We have developed simple and sensitive enzyme-based methods for evaluating the ability of serum complement to prevent immune complex precipitation (PIP) or to solubilize preformed immune complexes (SOL). Alkaline phosphatase, serving both as antigen and label, is added to goat IgG anti-alkaline phosphatase antibodies, with serum present throughout the assay (PIP), or added after immune complex formation (SOL). After incubation at 37 degrees C for 1 h followed by centrifugation, the enzyme activity of the supernatant, reflecting the amount of immune complexes in solution, is measured by colorimetry. Results are expressed with reference to a standard serum pool assigned 100 arbitrary units (AU). Intra- and inter-assay variabilities are within 10%. The normal ranges were 67-133 AU for PIP and 72-129 AU for SOL. These methods have been standardized for clinical use in relation to impaired complement function and immune complex disease, and adapted for measuring complement mediated binding of immune complexes to erythrocytes. They are sensitive, easy to perform and do not require expensive facilities. By measuring the interaction of complement with immune complexes, these methods may highlight aspects of the classical and the alternative pathway that are different from those detected using haemolysis as an endpoint.
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The complement system consists of at least 15 proteins whose sequential activation, split products, and interaction with other plasma proteins and cells are important in inflammation. Measurement of complement is useful in many rheumatic and immunologic diseases. Most attention has focused on low levels usually due to immune complex disorders. A logical starting point is measurement of the total hemolytic complement, CH50; if this is low, one can see which component is involved. If only one component concentration is decreased, an inherited defect may be present; multiple low levels usually reflect an acquired process. Serial levels of CH50, C4, and C3 are particularly useful in monitoring patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis. Complement may also be involved in effusions.
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The human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region contains 57-60 structural genes spanning 654-759 kb of genomic DNA. Analysis of the sequence identities of the human and mouse genomic regions between NOTCH4 and complement C2 yields important information on the locations of the coding and regulatory sequences. It also provides insights into the relationship between protein function and level of sequence conservation, and on the clustering of genes with related functions.
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Class I and class III major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen frequencies were analyzed in 130 haplotypes from 33 families belonging to a group of Amerindians culturally and linguistically isolated for more than 12 centuries in Mexico: the Tarascos. The most frequent antigens in this ethnic group of the HLA-A locus are: A2 (gf 0.353), A24 (gf = 0.223), A31 (gf = 0.184), and A28 (gf = 0.161); and the most frequent of the HLA-B locus are: B35 (gf = 0.230), B39 (gf = 0.192), B15 (gf = 0.146), and B5 (gf = 0.123). On the other hand, class III antigens demonstrated relatively high frequencies of the SC31 (frequency = 0.561), SC01 (frequency = 0.076), and SC42 (frequency = 0.069) complotypes. Also important was the relatively high frequency of the HLA-B27 antigen (gf 0.061) and the SC33 complotype (frequency = 0.046), which are either absent or found infrequently in other Amerindian groups. Analysis of MHC haplotypes revealed that four of them have relatively high frequencies, these were the following: [B39;SC31] (11.6%), [B35;SC31] (11.6%), [B15;SC31] (8.0%), and [B5;SC31] (5.8%). Other MHC haplotypes had frequencies lower than 5.0%. The decreased frequency of BF alleles other than BF*S and the presence of the SC33 and SC32 complotypes suggest long time preservation from genetic admixture. This information withstands the basis for population genetic analysis and disease association studies in Mexican mestizos.
From the study of 52 families and 15 homozygous typing cells, 234 MHC complement haplotypes were characterized for features in the DNA of the complotype region: C2/Sst I (2.75, 2.70, 2.65, and 2.40 kb), BF/Taq I (6.6 and 4.5 kb), C4 5'/Bgl II (15 and 4.5 kb), C4 5'/Taq I (7.0, 6.4, 6.0 and 5.4 kb) and C4 3'/Xba I/BamH I (11 and 4 + 7 kb) restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP's), by the presence or absence of C4A, C4B, CYP21A and CYP21B genes and by duplications. Nineteen (of over 1000 theoretically possible) complotype-RFLP constellations (CRC's) were found. The 9 CRC's with two C4 and CYP21 genes were designated A through I. CRC's Bdup and Ddup were like B and D but had duplicated C4B-CYP21B genes. The remaining CRC's had deletions of C4 and/or CYP21 genes and were designated Bdel, Cdel and the like. Individual complement alleles and complotypes were nor randomly distributed among the CRC's. Some complotypes, such as SC01, SC02 and FIC30, were restricted to only 1 CRC; others, such as SC31, FC31, and SC30, were found in several CRC's. Some of the CRC's contained a single complotype, others contained several. Remarkably, there are about 30 CRC-specified complotypes with frequencies of .01 or higher and 14 of .02 or higher. A number of evolutionary origins of complement alleles and complotypes are suggested by the relationships among CRC's. Approximate normal frequencies of the undeleted CRC's were A = .27, B = .19, Bdup = .02, C = .17, D = .07, Ddup = .02, E = .06, F = .05, and G = .02. Thus, CRC's without deletions accounted for 88% of normal complotypes. Since the frequency of Bdel, with a deletion of C4A, was .12, 10 CRC's accounted for all observed normal caucasian MHC haplotypes.
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The number of mechanisms that have evolved in microbes to subvert the immune response seems limitless. Tubercle bacilli have found a novel way to coat themselves with the C3 complement protein and invade macrophages by interactions with complement receptors.
Accumulated evidence to date confirms the importance of the C3-CR pathway in the phagocytosis of pathogenic mycobacteria. Detailed receptor-ligand studies for phagocytosis are creating the framework to test the hypothesis that the entry pathway for these bacteria influences the immediate host cell response and their intracellular fate. These types of study are particularly important for improving our understanding of the outcome of primary infection in humans, where the number of bacilli is presumed to be very low.
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The activity of nuclear phosphoinositide 3-kinase C2beta (PI3K-C2beta) was investigated in HL-60 cells blocked by aphidicolin at G(1)/S boundary and allowed to progress synchronously through the cell cycle. The activity of immunoprecipitated PI3K-C2beta in the nuclei and nuclear envelopes showed peak activity at 8 h after release from the G(1)/S block, which correlates with G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle. In the nuclei and nuclear envelopes isolated from HL-60 cells at 8 h after release from G(1)/S block, a significant increase in the level of incorporation of radiolabeled phosphate into phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P) was observed with no change in the level of radiolabeled PtdIns(4)P, PtdIns(4,5)P(2) and PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3). On Western blots, PI3K-C2beta revealed a single immunoreactive band of 180 kDa, whereas in the nuclei and nuclear envelopes isolated at 8 h after release, the gel shift of 18 kDa was observed. When nuclear envelopes were treated for 20 min with mu-calpain in vitro, the similar gel shift and increase in PI3K-C2beta activity was observed which was completely inhibited by pretreatment with calpain inhibitor calpeptin. The presence of PI3K inhibitor LY 294002 completely abolished the calpain-mediated increase in the activity of PI3K-C2beta but did not prevent the gel shift. When HL-60 cells were released from G(1)/S block in the presence of either calpeptin or LY 294002, the activation of nuclear PI3K-C2beta was completely inhibited. These results demonstrate the calpain-mediated activation of the nuclear PI3K-C2beta during G(2)/M phase of the cell cycle in HL-60 cells.
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