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[Meningococcal infection and arthritis].

Arthritic manifestations in patients with meningococcal disease are of varied pathogenesis. Four different pathogenic mechanisms may be involved. Direct bacterial invasion of the synovium and multiplication within the joint (septic arthritis); hypersensitivity reaction or allergic arthritis; intra- or periarticular hemorrhage (hemarthrosis) and iatrogen causes, i.e. reaction to antimicrobial agents, serum therapy etc. Four distinct clinical forms have been described: The septic, culture-positive polyarthritis is seen early in the course of the disease. The sterile "non-infectious" or allergic mono- or oligo arthritis are seen later in the course. Primary meningococcal arthritis. Arthritis may be seen in relation to chronic meningococcemia. Treatment consists primarily of specific antimeningococcal chemotherapy, viz penicillin and non-steroid-anti-inflammatory drugs. The prognosis of meningococcal arthritis is excellent and joint sequelae are rare. Predisposing factors in relation to meningococcal disease are reviewed. The most important are socioeconomic conditions, acute respiratory illness, particularly in relation to age as children less than two years are most susceptible, passive smoking, IgA blocking antibodies, the concentration of complement factors C3, C6, C7, C8, and IgG2-defects.

Arthritis, Infectious↗

Complement activation and cyto-immunological alterations of the respiratory mucosa.

The action of activated complement on the upper respiratory tract was studied using the registration of ciliary beating and the transmission and scanning electron microscopy of ciliated cell lesions. The alternative pathway of activation was done using (1) non-specific activators, i. e. zymosan, dextran sulfate and polymerised sIgA, and (2) specific activators, i. e. "Ag-sIgA" immune complexes on normal mucosa and contact between an antigen and the tracheal mucosa of an immunized animal. In all cases, a quick alteration of the ciliary beating rythm was registered as well as more or less extensive cytological destruction. Such results were obtained with or without adjunction of complement; this suggested the existence of complement locally. A new method to demonstrate the occurrence of complement was developed, and the results showed that complement was present in the trachea. The above results were corroborated (1) by EDTA inhibition of the two complement pathways which prevented stopping of the ciliary beating and eliminated most of the cytological lesions, whilst EGTA left the alternative pathway operative with consequent alterations, and (2) by using C6-deficient rabbits in which no alterations were found. This study demonstrated that under certain conditions, local sIgA may activate the complement, and this fact explains many aspects of these immunological reactions of the respiratory epithelium.

Animals↗

Congenital and experimentally induced complement deficiency in rabbits.

Deficiency of the sixth component of complement in rabbits is an autosomal recessive defect which also renders C7-9 functionally unavailable. The function of C6-9 appears to be that of amplification of immunologic processes. Defective animals are associated with a subtle disadvantage. Normal rabbits injected with cobra-venom-anticomplementary-factor show primary C3-9 and secondary polymorphonuclear leukocyte and platelet functional deficiency. Animals treated with cobra venom showed striking deficits in manifestations of some immunologic functions. Thus the complement system plays a vital role in maintaining integrity of immunologic mechanisms.

Animals↗

Effects on serum complement of normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancy and of oral contraceptives.

The complement system was studied in normal gestation and puerperium, in pre-eclampsia and in women taking oral contraceptives. In 12 normal pregnancies, CH50 titres, C4, C3, C6 and C7 were increased throughout pregnancy; the serum concentration of C1 inhibitor was decreased in the last 2 quarters but greatly raised after delivery. Oral oestrogen-progestogen contraceptives also raised C3 but in contrast to pregnancy lowered CH50, C6 and C7. The different effects of pregnancy and of oral contraceptives may be due to materno-foetal immune reactions. In 9 patients with pre-eclamplsia, complement levels showed a wider scatter and a significantly higher C3 level than in normal pregnancy. Conversion of C3 to C3i was found in 2 of these patients.

Complement C3↗

Accelerated graft arteriosclerosis in cardiac transplants: complement activation promotes progression of lesions from medium to large arteries.

BACKGROUND: A critical role for the terminal components of complement (C5b-C9) has been demonstrated previously in acute allograft rejection with the use of C6-deficient PVG congenic rat strains. The C6 deficiency prevents the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC) by C5b-C9. Hearts transplanted from PVG.1A (RT1a) rats are rejected acutely (7-9 days) by fully MHC-incompatible C6-sufficient PVG.1L (RT11) recipients, but they survive significantly longer in untreated C6-deficient PVG.1L recipients (19 to >60 days). METHODS: To investigate the contribution of MAC to chronic rejection and accelerated graft arteriosclerosis (AGA) in long-term cardiac allografts, hearts were transplanted heterotopically from PVG.1A donors to C6-sufficient and C6-deficient PVG.1L hosts that were treated with cyclosporine 15 mg/kg/day for 14 days after cardiac grafting. Alloantibody responses in hosts were measured by flow cytometry at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after transplantation. Vigorously contracting grafts were removed at 60 days (n=5) and at 90-128 days (n=12) after surgery for morphological evaluation. Computerized planimetry measurements were made in complete cross-sections of grafts on all assessable arteries larger than 16 microns in diameter. RESULTS: The survival of most (six of seven) cardiac allografts in C6-deficient recipients was prolonged by cyclosporine treatment to greater than 90 days. In contrast, 14 of 25 hearts that were transplanted to C6-sufficient recipients were rejected between 21 and 84 days with severe vascular injury. AGA, defined as smooth muscle cells forming a neointima inside the internal elastic lamina and luminal compromise, affected a greater percentage of arteries in C6-sufficient than in C6-deficient recipients. AGA developed earlier and more frequently in arteries of medium (<100 micron) diameter than those of large diameter in both C6-sufficient and C6-deficient recipients. Serial sections demonstrated the lesions in medium arteries to be located adjacent to the smooth muscle sphincters at the junction of arteriolar branches. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that MAC promotes the pathogenesis of AGA in long-term cardiac allografts.

Animals↗

Central role of complement membrane attack complex in monosodium urate crystal-induced neutrophilic rabbit knee synovitis.

OBJECTIVE: Monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals promote gouty inflammation that is critically mediated by neutrophil recruitment and activation. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and closely related chemokines are major neutrophil chemotaxins in experimental gout. But MSU crystals also activate the classical and alternative pathways of complement, and MSU crystals directly cleave C5 on the crystal surface. Unlike IL-8, the roles in acute gout of individual complement-derived peptides and of the terminal C5b-9 complement components that comprise the membrane attack complex (MAC) are unclear. Hence, we studied rabbits deficient in the MAC component C6 to determine if MAC mediated urate crystal-induced arthritis. METHODS: We injected C6-deficient and C6-sufficient rabbit knee joints with 10 mg of pyrogen-free urate crystals and analyzed IL-8 levels, leukocyte influx, and joint inflammation 24 hours later. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease (>60%) in swelling in MSU crystal-injected knees of C6-deficient animals as compared with C6-sufficient animals (P < 0.05). An attenuated rise in MSU crystal-induced joint effusion levels of IL-8 also was observed, which was concordant with diminished numbers of neutrophils (P < 0.05) but not monocytes in MSU crystal-induced knee synovial fluid from C6-deficient animals. Synovial tissue analysis confirmed mononuclear leukocyte infiltration in response to MSU crystal injection in all animals, but substantial neutrophil infiltration only in C6-sufficient animals. CONCLUSION: MAC activation appears to play a major role in intraarticular IL-8 generation and in neutrophil recruitment in experimental acute gouty arthritis of the rabbit knee. C6 and MAC activation may represent novel therapeutic targets for suppression of neutrophil-mediated joint inflammation in gout.

Animals↗

Complement components C5 and C7: recombinant factor I modules of C7 bind to the C345C domain of C5.

Studies reported over 30 years ago revealed that latent, nonactivated C5 binds specifically and reversibly to C6 and C7. These reversible reactions are distinct from the essentially nonreversible associations with activated C5b that occur during assembly of the membrane attack complex, but they likely involve some, perhaps many, of the same molecular contacts. We recently reported that these reversible reactions are mediated by the C345C (NTR) domain at the C terminus of the C5 alpha-chain. Earlier work by others localized the complementary binding sites to a tryptic fragment of C6 composed entirely of two adjacent factor I modules (FIMs), and to a larger fragment of C7 composed of its homologous FIMs as well as two adjoining short consensus repeat modules. In this work, we expressed the tandem FIMs from C7 in bacteria. The mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gels, lack of free sulfhydryl groups, and atypical circular dichroism spectrum of the recombinant product rC7-FIMs were all consistent with a native structure. Using surface plasmon resonance, we found that rC7-FIMs binds specifically to both C5 and the rC5-C345C domain with K(D) approximately 50 nM, and competes with C7 for binding to C5, as expected for an active domain. These results indicate that, like C6, the FIMs alone in C7 mediate reversible binding to C5. Based on available evidence, we suggest a model for an irreversible membrane attack complex assembly in which the C7 FIMs, but not those in C6, are bound to the C345C domain of C5 within the fully assembled complex.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Arachidonic acid mobilization and phosphoinositide turnover by the terminal complement complex, C5b-9, in rat oligodendrocyte x C6 glioma cell hybrids.

Previously, we have shown that rat oligodendrocytes release phospholipid and generate arachidonic acid (AA) and leukotriene B4 in response to sublytic C5b-9 formation. In the present study, we investigated the biochemical pathways by which C5b-9 generates AA from clone ROC-1, a fusion product of rat oligodendrocytes and C6 glioma. Cells were incubated for 24 h in the presence of [3H]AA or [3H]myoinositol. They were then sensitized with antibody against hybrid cell stroma and treated for 1 h with C9-depleted human serum (C9D-HS) or C9D-HS reconstituted with C9. Alternatively, cells were treated with C8,C9D-HS or C8,C9D-HS reconstituted with C8 or C8 plus C9 for 1 h. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the released [3H]AA and [3H]myoinositol radiolabeled products were performed by thin layer chromatography/autoradiography and anion exchange chromatography, respectively. The major [3H]AA radiolabeled products after C5b-9 stimulation comigrated with intact phospholipid and AA standards, and the major [3H]myoinositol radiolabeled product was inositol-1-phosphate. Treatment of cells with phospholipase A2 inhibitors, mepacrine and bromophenacyl bromide, abolished AA release by C5b-9. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, C5b-9 also failed to induce the release of AA. Interestingly, 1-(5-isoquinolinsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7), a potent inhibitor of protein kinases, inhibited AA release by C5b-9, whereas AA release stimulated by the calcium ionophore A23187 was not blocked by H-7. The results suggest that AA generation by C5b-9 from the ROC-1 clone involves activation of Ca2+-dependent phospholipase A2 which is regulated by protein kinase-dependent mechanisms.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

Activation of the alternative pathway of the complement system by radiographic contrast media.

Nine patients who underwent radiographic contrast media (RCM) infusion for diagnostic purposes were studied. Simultaneously, venous blood samples were collected and complement was measured. None of the patients had a clinical history of allergy to previous infusion of RCM. A significant drop in plasma complement (CH50) levels was detected in five of nine patients. The drop in CH50 was observed within the first 20 min after the initiation of RCM infusion. All five patients in whom a drop in complement was found showed a decrease in hemolytic C3, properdin, and factor B. In addition, by radial immunodiffusion low levels of C3, C6, properdin, and factor B were observed and split products of C3 and factor B were identified by immunoelectrophoresis. No significant changes in C1q and C4 were detected by radial immunodiffusion during the study of these five patients. This study strongly suggested that in some patients undergoing RCM infusion, activation of the complement system occurred and this activation appears to be through the alternative pathway.

Complement C1↗

Attenuation of interleukin-8 expression in C6-deficient rabbits after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion.

Neutrophil accumulation and activation of the complement system with subsequent deposition of the cytolytic membrane attack complex (MAC) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. The MAC, when present in high concentrations, promotes target cell lysis. However, relatively little is known about the potential modulatory role of sublytic concentrations of the MAC on nucleated cell function in vivo. In vitro studies demonstrated that the MAC regulates cell function by promoting the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, including adhesion molecules and pro-inflammatory cytokines. We examined, using C6-deficient and C6-sufficient rabbits, the regulatory role of the MAC in mediating IL-8 expression and subsequent neutrophil recruitment in the setting of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. C6-deficient and C6-sufficient rabbits were subjected to 30 min of regional myocardial ischemia followed by a period of reperfusion. In addition to a significant reduction in myocardial infarct size in C6-deficient animals, analysis of myocardial tissue demonstrated a decrease in neutrophil influx into the infarcted region. The reduction in neutrophil influx correlated with the decreased expression of the neutrophil chemotactic cytokine IL-8, as determined by ELISA and immunohistochemical analysis. The results derived from this study provide evidence that the MAC has an important function in mediating the recruitment of neutrophils to the reperfused myocardium through the local induction of IL-8.

Animals↗

Evidence for a two-domain structure of the terminal membrane C5b-9 complex of human complement.

Lipid vesicles carrying the purified membrane C5b-9 complex [C5b-9(m)] of complement were analyzed immunochemically and in the electron microscope after treatment with a combination of trypsin and alpha-chymotrypsin. Under reducing conditions, the externally oriented annulus was removed. The remaining part of the C5b-9(m), representing approximately half of the total mass of the macromolecular complex, was visualized in the electron microscope as a hollow cylindrical structure with walls of 1-nm thickness. This structure remained tenaciously attached to the lipid bilayer, projecting 8-9 nm from the external membrane surface into the aqueous environment. Cleavage of C5b-9(m) by proteolysis and reduction resulted in a sharp reduction of tis antigenic determinants. One hydrophilic protease-resistant C5 derivative was released from the membrane and recovered in the fluid phase. The membrane-bound residue almost totally lacked antigens precipitable with antisera to C5, C6, C9, and C5b-9(m).

Complement C5↗

Protection of retroviral vector particles in human blood through complement inhibition.

The rapid inactivation of murine-derived retroviral vectors in human or nonhuman primate sera is largely attributed to the activity of complement mediated through the classical pathway. In this study, we have further investigated the relationship between the human complement cascade and retrovirus inactivation. Preincubation in normal human serum effectively inactivated LXSN retroviral vector particles, whereas the vector maintained the ability to transduce cells following incubation in sera deficient in either the C1, C2, C3, C5, C6, C8, or C9 human complement proteins. Preincubation of serum with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that functionally block specific complement components, including C5, C6, C8, and C9, successfully protected the LXSN vector from complement-mediated inactivation. Treatment of serum with cobra venom factor, which consumes terminal complement, also effectively protected the vector from inactivation. LXSN vector survival in serum corresponded inversely to the level of complement activity following treatment of serum with anti-C5 mAb as assessed in an erythrocyte hemolytic assay. Additionally, pretreatment of human whole blood with anti-C5 mAb effectively inhibited inactivation of the LXSN vector. Taken together, these data demonstrate that formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC, C5b-9) is required for the inactivation of the murine-based LXSN retroviral vector in human blood and that this process can be abrogated with the use of soluble complement inhibitors.

3T3 Cells↗

Complement and infectious agents: a tale of disguise and deception.

The primary functions of the immune system center on the recognition and elimination of infectious agents, foreign substances, and altered or transformed host cells. Bacterial and viral infections represent major challenges to the immune system because of the ability of these agents to replicate and injure host cells and tissues, and to impair recognition and elude destruction by humoral or cellular defense mechanisms. Complement functions at multiple levels in the control of bacterial infections: recognition, in vivo clearance, opsonization, killing and lytic destruction. Although bacteria frequently evade destruction and cause disease, the ultimate control of bacterial infections is largely dependent on the actions of antibody and complement functioning synergistically with phagocytic cells. The crucial role of complement in these actions is apparent in the striking susceptibility to life-threatening bacterial infections of most individuals who are genetically deficient in complement components, particularly C3, C3 regulatory proteins and C5, C6, C7 or C8. The complement system also interacts with viruses and virus-infected cells at multiple levels and, as in the case of bacteria, viruses have evolved various mechanisms to avoid destruction. As obligate intracellular parasites which reside in host cells; however, the elimination of viruses is largely dependent on cellular immune responses. Complement also interacts with parasites and fungi; however, the physiologic importance of these reactions has yet to be elucidated. The various types of interactions of infectious agents with the complement system and the mechanisms which these pathogens have evolved to evade destruction and, in some cases, to potentiate and facilitate infection are summarized here.

Bacterial Infections↗

Distribution of hemolytic complement in the normal cornea.

Hemolytic activities in the central cornea were compared with hemolytic activities in the peripheral cornea for each of the following complement components: C1, C4, C2, C3, C5, C6, and C7. For all seven complement components studied, hemolytic activities in the peripheral cornea were higher than hemolytic activities in the central cornea, and the differences were statistically significant. The most striking difference was for C1, which had a ratio of mean hemolytic activity in the peripheral cornea to that in the central cornea of almost 5:1. For the other six complement components, the ratio of the mean hemolytic activity in the peripheral cornea to that in the central cornea was approximately 1.2:1. This distribution of complement activity in the cornea suggests that the major source of complement components is the limbal vessels and that complement components diffuse from the limbus to the central cornea.

Aged↗

Role of complement in renal tubular damage.

Deposition of immunoglobulins, complement proteins C1q, C3c, C3d, C4, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, and terminal complement complex neoantigens in the renal tubulointerstitium was studied in serial sections by immunofluorescence microscopy. Renal tissue from 45 cases with various glomerular diseases, including 8 controls, was studied. The patients were divided into groups; one with tubulointerstitial lesions (24 cases) and the other without (13 cases). The immunoproteins were deposited mainly in the tubular basement membrane and blood vessels. Compared with controls there was a significantly increased staining score for C5 to C9 in the tubular basement membrane in both disease groups. However, the increase in terminal complement complex neoantigens score was significant only in the disease group with tubulo interstitial lesions. The changes in C3d score were not significant. Serial sections showed consistent and heavy ribbon-like deposits of complement proteins C3d, C5 to C9, and terminal complement complex neoantigens in corresponding locations of the segments of tubular basement membrane, mainly in the disease group with tubulointerstitial lesions and especially in the damaged tubules. These findings suggest that in situ activation of the complement cascade leads to the deposition of terminal complement complex neoantigens. Complement activation in the basal area of the tubules may, therefore, be an important pathogenetic mechanism in tubulointerstitial damage.

Basement Membrane↗

[Genetic variants of the complement components and HLA-antigens associated in patients with psoriasis vulgaris in Japanese].

Genetic polymorphisms of the serum complement components (C2, C4, C6, and C7) and HLA-antigens were studied in Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Among these complement components, positive associations with C4A4 and C4B2 were obtained. In addition to the previously reported haplotypes HLA-Cw6-B13 and Cw6-Bw57-DR7, the extended haplotype HLA-Cw11-Bw46-C4A4. 4B2-BFS-C2C-DRw8 may be a high risk haplotype in Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

Asian People↗

The effect of antibody and complement on perfused hearts: a model for the study of xenograft rejection phenomenon.

An in vitro heart perfusion system was developed to study the effect of antibody and complement on hearts in vitro, as a model to quantitatively evaluate factors involved in xenograft rejection. Both guinea pig and rabbit hearts were tested with various reagents. Perfusion of hearts with normal autologous or "homologous" sera did not induce rejection, while "heterologous" sera, normal or immune, arrested cardiac function. Either the inactivation of certain complement components or the absence of antibodies against heart tissue prevented rejection as determined by lack of change in electrocardiogram and alterations in ultrastructure. Antibody alone had no effect. A lethal effect of C6-deficient rabbit serum on guinea pig hearts was prevented by 2 antihistamines, Chlortripolon and Benadryl.

Animals↗

Cyanate as an inactivator of complement proteins.

Sodium cyanate added to normal human serum or serum from patients with sickle-cell disease resulted in the functional inactivation of C3, C5, C6, C7, and the C3b inactivator, but not C8 and C9. Final concentrations as low as 0.5 mM in serum caused inactivation of 12 to 64% of the C3 after 8 hr at 37 degrees C. The activity of the inactivated C3, C5, and C3b inactivator was not restored by dialysis. Most of the functional activity of C3 in cyanate-treated sera was destroyed by very small quantities of 14C-labeled cyanate that was bound to the protein. C3 inactivation by cyanate occurred in heated sera (50 degrees C, 30 min) and sera treated with EDTA, probably indicating that one mechanism for inactivation was by a direct carbamylation reaction. Both C3 and C5 showed two anodal-migrating forms in two dimensional antigen-antibody crossed electrophoresis in some sera treated with low concentrations of cyanate. Measurements of circular dichroism of highly purified carbamylated C3 showed no detectable changes in structure even though most of the functional activity was destroyed. Purified, inactive C3 that was carbamylated with 14C-labeled cyanate was capable of binding to EAC142, but the resulting EAC1423 was weakly positive for immune adherence and negative for agglutination with anti-C3 antiserum. Unlabeled, cell-bound C3b on EAC142 was not susceptible to cyanate action as shown by no loss in immune adherence and positive agglutination with anti-C3 antiserum. The C3b inactivator was more susceptible to cyanate than C3 in a short time period, whereas both were inactivated after 8 hr. Since cyanate is currently being evaluated as a treatment for sickle-cell disease, the inactivation of C3 by the drug is an important consideration for such patients who are already deficient in C3 dependent heat-labile opsonins that aid in host defense.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗