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PubMed1978

Activity of the alternative pathway of complement in the newborn infant.

Levels of C3, properdin, factor B, and C3 to C9 activity were markedly reduced in cord sera taken from 94 normal newborn infants. Nevertheless, cord serum supported complete activation of its own alternative pathway by zymosan or CoF. Lysis of a target cell, however, was defective; nearly 75% of cord sera had reduced rabbit erythrocyte CH50 titers. These were partially increased by the addition of factor B and properdin, and totally restored by adding factor B, properdin, and C3 to C9. Therefore, although the alternative pathway of the neonate is intact, it appears to be limited in its ability to generate an adequate number of stable and active enzymatic sites on a target cell membrane.

Complement Activation↗
PubMed1980

Complement activating property of the protein-rich endotoxin (OEP) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. I. Activation of both the classical and the alternative pathways of guinea pig complement.

Complement activating property of the protein-rich endotoxin (OEP) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was investigated. The ability of OEP to consume the hemolytic complement (CH50) of guinea pig serum (GPS) was relatively lower than zymosan, a potent activator of the alternative pathway (AP). The profiles of the complement consumption with OEP in GPS suggested that classical pathway (CP) activation seems to occur in addition to the AP-activation, because the consumption of the C3-C9, i.e., C3 total was relatively higher than those of C1, C4 and C2. Further results stated below is confirmed this. OEP consumed complement in certain extent in C4-deficient GPS and also in factor B- or D-depleted GPS. In these sera either pathway of the AP or the CP was operated. However, OEP consumed complement quite in full extent in the EGTA-chelated serum, in which AP-activation took place in normal level. OEP was therefore found in this experiment to activate only the AP. The conversion of C3 in immunoelectrophoresis which is a evidence of the CP-and/or AP-activation was observed with OEP. It was suggested that the antibody against OEP did not participate in the consumption of complement, because the GPS priorly absorbed with OEP-coated sheep RBC, was retained fully to react with OEP. It was discussed that the active site of OEP as to the complement activation located on the LPS portion of OEP.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Complement, opsonins, and the immune response to bacterial infection in burned patients.

Studies were performed to evaluate complement, opsonins, and the immune response to bacterial infection in burned patients. Concentrations and functional acitivities of components of the classical and alternative complement pathways were measured in the sera of four septic, two bacteremic, and four nonseptic burned patients. In addition, heat-labile and heat-stable opsonic activity and agglutinin titers directed against the infecting bacterial strains were measured in the sera of the four septic patients and in an additional group of 11 septic burned patients with abnormal complement profiles. Functional activity of the alternative complement pathway and the concentration of properdin were shown to be persistently decreased during eight weeks postburn in the septic, bacteremic, and nonseptic burned patients; reduced classical pathway activity was demonstrated during the initial postburn period only in the septic patients. Two of the 15 septic patients had decreased heat-labile serum opsonic activity for their infecting bacterial strains, which occurred only during the initial postburn period. Heat-stable opsonins and agglutinin titers in the patients' sera directed against the infecting bacterial strains were equivalent to those in normal human sera, except for the agglutinin titers to Streptococcus faecalis which were increased in the patients' sera in comparison to the normal sera. These results indicate that the multiple complement abnormalities which occur in septic burned patients do not predispose these patients to bacterial infection by decreasing serum opsonic activity. Moreover, heat-stable immune IgG antibodies are not produced during septicemia which facilitate opsonization of the infecting bacterial strains in the absence of an intact complement system.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunological studies of grain dust.

Epidemiological investigations of grain workers have suggested the presence of biological hazards in terminal grain elevators. Immunological assessments of the involved individuals, however, have produced inconclusive results. We have recently demonstrated in vitro a potential biological mechanism which could occur in vivo upon inhaling airborne graon dust, thereby constituting a potential inflammatory insult to the respiratory tracts of grain workers. Airborne dusts of similar size distributions generated by transporting grain in terminal grain elevators have been shown to activate the alternative pathway of complement in precipitin-negative pooled normal human serum. These dusts consumed hemolytic complement in a dose-response manner as quantified by both CH100 immunodiffusion and CH50 tube methods. The proactivator of C3 was converted to the activator form in the presence of the chelator EGTA, but conversion was prevented by EDTA. Likewise, serum from guinea pigs genetically deficient in C4, thereby lacking a functional classical complement pathway, showed complement consumption by grain dusts via the alternative pathway. Relative CH50 toxicity ranking of the various dusts was found to be unrelated to the amount of endotoxin present. Of interest, aged settled dust (20-30 years) remained relatively active against the alternative complement pathway as did 15 min aqueous extracts of ground whole rye.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1983

Failure of Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to activate the alternative pathway of complement.

Bovine erythrocytes (E) coated with either crude or purified preparations of Brucella abortus LPS were not lysed by human complement (C) in the presence of the chelating agent ethyleneglycol-bis-N, N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). On the other hand, bovine red cells coated with Salmonella typhimurium LPS were lysed by human C in EGTA. B. abortus LPS preparations did not cause fluid phase human C consumption in the presence of calcium and magnesium ions. However, as expected, S. typhimurium LPS consumed C from human serum in a dose-dependent fashion. The results of these experiments indicate that B. abortus LPS differs from the Enterobacterial LPSs in that it cannot activate the alternative pathway of C in human serum. Furthermore, the failure of B. abortus LPS to consume C in the fluid phase in the presence of calcium and magnesium ions suggests that the LPS cannot cause antibody-independent activation of the classical pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Complement in tears from normal humans.

Tears from ten normal persons were used in hemolytic assays to test for activity of total hemolytic complement (tested in all ten subjects), activities of each of the nine complement components (tested in two subjects), and activity of the alternate pathway (tested in two subjects). A modified radial-immunodiffusion method was used to confirm the presence of C3 and C4 complement proteins in the tear samples from all ten subjects. Factor B protein was detected in tears from two of four normal subjects tested. In dilutions up to 1:4, hemolytic activity was observed in tears from five of the ten subjects. Samples from the remaining five subjects had CH50 activity at dilutions up to 1:2. In control tests, human serum had CH50 activity at 1:32. No lysis occurred in Veronal-buffered saline or in serum and tears heated to 56 degrees C for 30 minutes. Complement proteins C3 through C9 displayed hemolytic activity in tears from each of two subjects tested for complement components. The classic and alternate complement pathways in tears can be included among the defense mechanisms of the ocular surfaces.

Complement C3↗
PubMed1974

A serum factor in chronic hypocomplementemic hephritis distinct from immunoglobulins and activating the alternate pathway of complement.

Nephritic factor (C3NeF) has been isolated from plasma of patients with hypocomplementemic chronic glomerulonephritis (HCG) by ion exchange and molecular sieve chromatography. This material was further treated with solidified anti-Ig antiserum. The purified material failed to react with antiserum to human IgG, IgG3, Fab, Fc, and kappa and lambda chains, but retained full C3NeF activity. The nonidentity of C3NeF with IgG was further demonstrated by Ouchterlony analysis using anti-IgG and anti-C3NeF. Isolated C3NeF was found to be a protein with a sedimentation coefficient of 7S and a mol wt of 150,000 daltons, which on microzone electrophoresis and gel electrophoresis at pH 8.6 behaved as a gamma-globulin. C3NeF is not a C1q precipitin and does not activate the classical complement pathway. Unlike cobra venom factor, it failed to enter into a complex with C3 proactivator (C3PA) when incubated with normal human serum (NHS) and then subjected to sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The action of isolated C3NeF on C3 requires C3PA, C3PA convertase (C3PAse), and properdin (P). Similarly, C3PA conversion by C3NeF requires P, C3PAse, and C3. Total hemolytic activity was lost by incubation of 64 microg of C3NeF/1 ml NHS at 37 degrees C for 30 min. Both C3a and C5a anaphylatoxin could be generated by C3NeF in serum previously depleted of anaphylatoxin inactivator. Anti-C3NeF was found to detect an antigen in all NHS tested. Treatment of NHS with solidified anti-C3NeF caused impairment of the alternate complement pathway. It failed to sustain lysis of glutathione-treated human erythrocytes initiated by inulin. It is conceivable that the normal serum constituent which is removed by anti-C3NeF constitutes the inactive precursor of C3NeF, and a heretofore unrecognized component of the alternate pathway.

Adsorption↗
PubMed1980

Complement-dependent, polymorphonuclear neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity of herpesvirus-infected cells: possible mechanism(s) of cytotoxicity.

Highly enriched bovine polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were able to destroy herpesvirus-infected cells in the presence of complement. Our results suggest that some viral antigens are capable of activating the alternate complement pathway directly which results in cytotoxicity however, the addition of PMN plus complement resulted in high levels of cytotoxicity. Chelation of Ca2+ or Mg2+ indicated that Ca2+ was involved in PMN--target cell interactions but Mg2+ was involved in activation of the alternate complement pathway. Cytotoxicity in the presence of PMNs was shown to be under bidirectional control of cyclic nucleotides. Thus agents that elevated cAMP reduced cytotoxicity whereas agents that elevated GMP increased it. If the PMN is secreting some product during the cytotoxic reaction it must be performed since chemical shown to inhibit DNA, RNA and protein synthesis had no influence on CDNC. Our results are discussed in terms of the mechanism of CDNC lysis as well as in the vivo significance of such a defence mechanism.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Classical and alternative pathway haemolytic activities of ovine complement: variations with age and sex.

The classical (CH50) and alternative (ACH50) pathway haemolytic activities of sheep complement were measured with microtechniques. Storage of blood at room temperature (instead of 4 degrees C) before centrifugation and usage of sera stored at -70 degrees C were compatible with complement titration. The effects of age and sex were tested in 303 sera obtained from animals aged between 2 weeks and 3.5 years old. ACH50 titres were low during the first 1.5 months of life then increased to reach the level found in adults at the age of 3 months. Conversely, CH50 titres were very high in suckling lambs, decreased up until the age of 3 months and then increased to reach the adult level at 1 year old. In lambs, the haemolytic complement activity was significantly higher in females than in males.

Aging↗
PubMed1979

Alternative pathway activation of complement by a murine parasitic nematode (Nematospiroides dubius).

The cuticular surface of the infectious third-stage larvae of Nematospiroides dubius activates complement via the alternative pathway. Sensitisation of larvae with complement or with antibodies from the serum of immune mice (resistant to reinfection) promoted the adherence of mouse peritoneal exudate cells to the larval cuticle during incubation in vitro. The infectivity of larvae sensitized with antibody or complement was significantly reduced after incubation with cells from immune mice.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Recurrent hematuria: a novel clinical presentation of hereditary complete complement C4 deficiency.

A 10-year-old boy suffered from recurrent attacks of fever, vomiting, and hematuria. During disease flares, circulating immune complexes were detected in the serum. Elevated levels of Bb, Ba, and C3a indicated complement activation through the alternative pathway. Complement C4 was undetectable. C4 phenotyping by agarose gel electrophoresis showed complete C4 deficiency. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) studies showed a homozygous deletion of the C4B and 21-hydroxylase A genes. A mild mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis with mesangial deposits of immunoglobulin (1g) G, IgM, IgA, Clq, C3, properdin, and terminal complement complex was probably caused by immune complex deposition and alternative complement pathway activation. Treatment with low-dose prednisolone substantially reduced the frequency of further episodes.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1986

Human alveolar macrophages synthesize the functional alternative pathway of complement and active C5 and C9 in vitro.

Attachment of protein to agarose beads cultured with macrophages in protein-free medium containing 3H-leucine, shows that de novo synthesis of protein with affinity to the beads takes place. We also found that monoclonal antibodies against human C3c, C3g, and a C9-neoantigen as well as polyclonal antibodies against human C5 and C9, bound to agarose beads that had been kept with the macrophage cultures. Demonstration of C3 derivatives on the agarose beads shows that the essential complement factors of the alternative pathway are synthesized and have been activated by the beads. Deposition of C5 and the detection of a neoantigen of C9 on the beads, indicates that the whole terminal complement pathway has been formed and activated. We conclude that human alveolar macrophages form in vitro the functional alternative pathway of complement, C5 and C9, and we have indirect evidence for synthesis of C6, C7, and C8.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1984

Antibody-dependent alternative pathway killing of Haemophilus influenzae type b.

The bactericidal activities of human complement and human antibody directed against specific Haemophilus influenzae type b cell surface determinants were investigated. Strain Eagan, a laboratory isolate, and strain Kn, a clinical isolate, were used as the test organisms and gave qualitatively similar results. In the absence of antibody, both isolates were resistant to killing by 60% agammaglobulinemic serum (AGS) containing normal complement levels. The addition of affinity-purified immunoglobulin G anticapsular antibody was bactericidal with 15% AGS as the complement source. Bactericidal activity was also demonstrated with this antibody when the complement source was AGS-Mg-EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid], C2-deficient human serum (alternative complement pathway), or AGS in which factor D and properdin had been selectively inactivated (classical pathway). Immunoglobulin G fractions from a human serum pool or from serum from an adult who had recovered from H. influenzae type b (Kn) sepsis were absorbed to remove anticapsular antibody. The absorbed fractions containing noncapsular antibodies also activated complement-dependent bactericidal activity. But, in contrast to the results with anticapsular antibody, noncapsular antibodies did not elicit alternative pathway bactericidal activity. Incubation of cells of H. influenzae type b in C2-deficient serum or AGS-Mg-EGTA did not cause complement consumption (total hemolytic complement and C3). The addition of immunoglobulin G anticapsular antibody (but not noncapsular antibody) increased consumption of total complement and C3, paralleling the results of the bactericidal assays. These studies demonstrated an absolute requirement for anticapsular antibody in alternative pathway activation and killing of H. influenzae type b.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Features of complement proteinase function].

Classical and alternative pathways of complement are considered which are stringently controlled cascades of proteolytic reactions. Peculiarities of working of various components of complement are characterized, ways are described of the regulation and inhibition of the system realized in the nature to achieve the highest reliability necessary for homeostasis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Specific complement inhibition with heparin-coated extracorporeal circuits.

BACKGROUND: Although it is well established that heparin-coated extracorporeal circuits reduce complement activation during cardiac operations, little in vivo information is available on the reduction in alternative and classic pathway activation. METHODS: In a prospective, randomized study involving patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with standard full heparinization, we compared heparin-coated circuits (Duraflo II) (10 patients) with uncoated circuits (10 patients) and assessed the extent of initiation of complement activation by detecting iC3 (C3b-like C3) concentrations, classic pathway activation by C4b/c (C4b, iC4b, C4c) concentrations, terminal pathway activation by soluble C5b-9 concentrations, and C3 activation by C3a (C3a desArg) and C3b/c (C3b, iC3b, C3c) concentrations. RESULTS: Heparin-coated extracorporeal circuits significantly reduced circulating complement activation product C3b/c and soluble C5b-9 concentrations at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass and after protamine sulfate administration compared with the uncoated circuits, but not iC3, C4b/c, or C3a concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Heparin-coated extracorporeal circuits reduce complement activation through the alternative complement pathway, probably at the C3 convertase level, and, consequently, the terminal pathway. C3b/c seems to be a more sensitive marker than C3a to assess complement activation during cardiac operations.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Role of the capsule and the O antigen in resistance of O18:K1 Escherichia coli to complement-mediated killing.

Epidemiological data show that O18:K1 Escherichia coli is a common cause of neonatal bacteremia and meningitis. These bacteria were capable of multiplying in the bloodstream of newborn rats and were resistant to the bactericidal effects of complement in the absence of specific antibodies. The roles played by the O antigen and the K antigen in complement resistance were analyzed by comparing the bactericidal effects of normal sera and of sera deficient in various complement components or in immunoglobulins. These sera were tested on O18:K1 bacteria and on mutants lacking either the lipopolysaccharide O antigen or the K1 capsular polysaccharide. In addition, O1:K1 cells, which can cause pyelonephritis but which are rare in newborn meningitis and which do not multiply in the bloodstream of newborn rats, were also examined. Different mechanisms of protection against the alternative and classical pathways were recognized: K1-positive cells were resistant to the bactericidal activity of sera deficient in classical complement pathway components, whereas K1-negative cells were sensitive to these sera. Based on these results and on those from complement fixation assays, the K1 sialic acid polysaccharide impedes the activation of, and thus protects the bacteria against, the alternative complement pathway. Not only the K1-negative mutant cells but also O1:K1 bacteria and mutants lacking the O18 oligosaccharide repeating units of the lipopolysaccharide were sensitive to the classical complement pathway. These bactericidal effects were observed even in the absence of specific antibodies. It is proposed that both the K1 capsule and the O18 oligosaccharide restrict antibody-independent classical pathway activation by shielding deeper structures on the cell membrane that are capable of activating this pathway.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Studies on the possible involvement of complement component C3 in the initiation of acid hydrolase secretion by macrophages. I. Correlation between enzyme-releasing and complement-activating capacities of several secretagogues.

A possible relationship between activation of the alternative pathway of complement and acid hydrolase secretion by macrophages has been investigated in vitro by examining the dose--response characteristics of several immunological and non-immunological stimuli of these two processes. Zymosan particles, insoluble immune complexes, methylamine and several other primary aliphatic monoamines were all found to elicit the selective release of lysosomal enzymes from macrophages by a process that correlated well with the ability of these agents to bring about consumption of haemolytically-active components of the alternative complement pathway. By contrast, substances which failed to activate the alternative complement pathway, i.e. soluble aggregated immunoglobulin and several primary aliphatic diamines, were found to be likewise incapable of inducing the selective release of lysosomal glycosidases from macrophages. These observations are interpreted as further evidence for imputing a role for complement C3 in the initiation of lysosomal enzyme release from macrophages.

Animals↗