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Two genes encoding steroid 21-hydroxylase are located near the genes encoding the fourth component of complement in man.

Two genes encoding steroid 21-hydroxylase [21-OHase; steroid 21-monooxygenase; steroid, hydrogen-donor: oxygen oxidoreductase (21-hydroxylating); EC 1.14.99.10], a cytochrome P-450 enzyme, have been located within the HLA major histocompatibility complex. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-OHase deficiency is a common inherited disorder of cortisol biosynthesis which is in genetic linkage disequilibrium with certain extended HLA haplotypes. These haplotypes include characteristic serum complement allotypes. A series of cosmid clones was isolated from a human genomic library by using a probe encoding part of the fourth component of complement, C4. These clones also hybridized with a probe encoding most of human 21-OHase. Restriction mapping and hybridization analysis showed that there are two 21-OHase genes, each located near the 3' end of one of the two C4 genes. Hybridization with probes specific for the 5' and 3' ends of the 21-OHase gene showed that the 21-OHase and C4 genes all have the same orientation. The 21-OHase genes 3' to C4A and C4B carry T aq I fragments of 3.2 and 3.7 kilobases (kb), respectively. Both of these fragments are found in genomic DNA of most individuals. In DNA from an individual with the severe, "salt-wasting" form of 21-OHase deficiency who was homozygous for HLA-A3;Bw47;C4A*1;C4B*Q0(null); DR7, the 3.7-kb Taq I fragment is absent, whereas hormonally normal individuals homozygous for HLA-A1;B8;C4A*Q0;C4B*1;DR3 do not carry the 3.2-kb Taq I fragment. These data suggest that the 21-OHase "B" gene (3.7-kb Taq I fragment) is functional, but the 21-OHase "A" gene (3.2-kb Taq I fragment) is not.

Chromosome Deletion↗

Genesis by meiotic unequal crossover of a de novo deletion that contributes to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency.

The HLA-linked human steroid 21-hydroxylase gene CYP21B and its closely homologous pseudogene CYP21A are each normally located centromeric to a fourth component of complement (C4) gene, C4B and C4A, respectively, in an organization suggesting tandem duplication of a ca. 30-kilobase DNA unit containing a CYP21 gene and a C4 gene. Such an organization has been considered to facilitate gene deletion and addition events by unequal crossover between the tandem repeats. We have identified a steroid 21-hydroxylase [steroid, hydrogen-donor:oxygen oxidoreductase (21-hydroxylating), EC 1.14.99.10] deficiency patient who has a maternally inherited disease haplotype that carries a de novo deletion of a ca. 30-kilobase repeat unit including the CYP21B gene and associated C4B gene. This disease haplotype appears to have been generated as a result of meiotic unequal crossover between maternal homologous chromosomes. One of the maternal haplotypes is the frequently occurring HLA-DR3, B8, A1 haplotype that normally carries a deletion of a ca. 30-kilobase unit including the CYP21A gene and C4A gene. Haplotypes of this type may possibly act as premutations, increasing the susceptibility of developing a 21-hydroxylase deficiency mutation by facilitating unequal chromosome pairing.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

Immunogenicity of intraperitoneal insulin infusion using programmable implantable devices.

Intraperitoneal insulin infusion using implantable devices in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) patients is promising since it improves diabetic control and decreases frequency of hypoglycaemia. However, preliminary data show a striking increase in plasma levels of anti-insulin antibodies with this therapy. In order to more precisely evaluate the immunogenicity and its consequences, anti-insulin antibody levels in 62 IDDM patients were assessed every 3 months during a 2-year period following pump implantation. At the same time, diabetes control was evaluated with HbA1c, mean blood glucose levels, standard deviation of the daily blood glucose levels and the frequency of low blood glucose (< 3.58 mmol/l). Factors involved in antibody formation such as age, gender, HLA typing, and complement C4 alleles were also studied. After implantation, anti-insulin antibody levels increased significantly from 3.14% (range 0-26%) to 8.34% (0-49%) after 1 year and remained elevated. Patients were divided into two groups: responders able to show at least one antiinsulin antibody titre higher than 15% and non-responders whose titres were always lower than 6%. None of the factors studied was shown to statistically influence the anti-insulin antibody titres. Non-responders had significantly better metabolic results than the responders. Severe hypoglycaemic episodes decreased dramatically in both groups. Insulin requirements were comparable at time 0 and decreased initially in both groups. They remained low for the non-responders but returned to pre-implantation values for responders. Intraperitoneal insulin infusion led to a high immunogenetic response towards insulin in about half of the patients, leading to only moderately deleterious effects on metabolic control.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

High variability of CYP21 gene rearrangements in Spanish patients with classic form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Mutations that cause deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase (21-OH) appear as a result of recombinations between the CYP21B coding gene and the highly homologous CYP21A pseudogene, which are tandemly arranged with the C4A and C4B genes. We report a detailed analysis of a major chromosomic rearrangement by Southern blot using 21-OH and complement C4 cDNA probes, in a wide sample of classic Spanish congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) patients. This study made it possible to observe that 50% of the patients carried at least one allele with gross abnormalities and that the frequencies of alleles with large deletions (16.66%) and gene conversions (14.16%) in the CYP21B gene were very similar. Moreover, our analysis revealed the existence of sixteen different restriction patterns of C4/CYP21 genes. Besides the detection of a new haplotype, which does not seem to appear from unequal crossing-over mechanisms, we observed the highest frequency on CYP21A duplications reported, as well as no duplications of the CYP21B gene. We also observed that although gross abnormalities of the CYP21A pseudogene did not affect 21-OH activity, alleles carrying deleterious point mutations had more rearrangements of the CYP21A gene than normal alleles. Even though the 21-OH deficiency is an autosomic trait, boys in our sample carried 2.6 times more deletions than girls. In contrast, conversion alleles were found equally frequently.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

Complement inhibitor C4-binding protein in amyloid deposits containing serum amyloid P in Alzheimer's disease.

Complement C4-binding protein (C4BP) is a plasma protein that complexes with serum amyloid P and is involved in inhibition of the complement cascade. We used immunochemical methods to demonstrate C4BP in brains of subjects with Alzheimer's disease and normal controls. C4BP antibodies stained cerebral amyloid deposits that were indistinguishable from those recognized by antibodies to serum amyloid P or by thioflavin S. Immunoblots of solubilized proteins from cerebral cortex, cerebral microvessels and cerebrospinal fluid showed specific antibody reactivity to 70-90 kDa bands. Our results suggest the involvement of complement regulatory proteins in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Aged↗

Immunogenetic analysis of 5 families with multicase occurrence of scleroderma and/or related variants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relative contribution of the major histocompatibility (MHC) gene complex in the etiopathogenesis of familial scleroderma and/or its variants, in 5 Australian families, each with 2 affected members. METHODS: Affected individuals and consenting first degree relatives were examined and had blood collected for histocompatibility leukocyte (HLA) class I, class II antigen, and complement C4 typing. An antinuclear (ANA) profile screen on each family member was performed. RESULTS: Family 1, had 2 affected siblings (scleroderma, CREST), each anticentromere positive (> 1/640 titer), with identical HLA haplotypes. A brother, who was HLA identical to his affected sisters was clinically normal and ANA negative. In Family 2, there were no HLA haplotype similarities between the 2 sisters affected with diffuse scleroderma. Both were ANA positive (> 1/640). A 3rd sister was HLA identical to the proband but was clinically normal and ANA negative. In Family 3, affected siblings (CREST, morphea) had identical HLA haplotypes. In Family 4, both mother (CREST) and one of her 2 daughters (scleroderma) had anticentromere antibodies (1/2560). The unaffected daughter, not sharing either of her sister's haplotypes, was normal and ANA negative. In Family 5, 2 sisters (CREST, CREST) were HLA identical. CONCLUSION: A female predominance in familial scleroderma was observed. There was no common HLA haplotype between different families affected with scleroderma or its disease variants. Within families (except in one case, where the possibility of crossover exists or a question of paternity) affected siblings shared both HLA haplotypes. The development of disease was not totally accounted for by HLA genes, since family members with the same HLA haplotypes as the proband, were not affected. It appears that genes within the MHC complex are required but are not sufficient for the development of systemic sclerosis.

Adolescent↗

Measurement by ELISA of complement factor 4 (C4) in the rat brain: necessity for removal of cerebrovascular proteins.

Assessment of complement 4 (C4) levels in experimental animals is used as a marker for activation of the classical complement pathway. The objective of this study was to develop a method for measuring C4 concentrations in the rat brain. An ELISA (sensitivity = 0.5 ng C4/ml) was used to measure C4 in regional brain homogenates from Fischer rats cardiac-perfused with phosphate buffered saline to remove cerebrovascular contents, and from sham-perfused rats. Ventral midbrain C4 levels were increased (p < 0.001) versus frontal cortex and striatum in sham-perfused rats, whereas after perfusion there were no differences between brain regions. Removal of cerebrovascular contents decreased C4 by 43% in striatum, 52% in frontal cortex, and 69% in ventral midbrain (all p < 0.01 versus sham-perfused means). These results indicate that C4 in the rat brain can be measured quantitatively by ELISA provided that cerebrovascular proteins are removed by perfusion.

Animals↗

Isolation of various canine leucocytes and their characterization by surface marker analysis.

Various techniques were used to separate canine peripheral blood leucocytes into populations enriched in lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leucocytes, phagocytic mononuclear cells (monocytes) and macrophages. Surface markers on each cell population were determined by rosette formation. Fc receptors for IgG and complement receptors (C3b and C3d) were present on PMN, monocytes, macrophages as well as on a sub-population of lymphocytes. Purification of the lymphocytes into T-and B-cell-enriched populations revealed that these receptors were present only on the B lymphocytes and not on the T lymphocytes. In addition, a third lymphocyte population, which did not possess surface immunoglobulin, and Fc receptor but not the complement receptor. None of the cell populations exhibited C4 complement receptors or Fc receptors for IgM. When different cell populations were tested for their ability to form rosettes directly with human type 'O' red blood cells it was found that most populations could rosette, suggesting that this technique could not be used as a specific marker for canine T lymphocytes.

Animals↗

Mechanisms of immune lysis of red blood cells in vitro. I. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria cells.

The effect of five different reactions which activate complement (antibody activation, reduction in ionic strength, acidification, cobra venom factor (CoF) activation, and inulin activation) upon normal and PNH cells was investigated, using normal serum and serum devoid of the fourth component of complement (C4) activity from patients with hereditary angioneurotic edema (HANE) as a source of complement. Both normal and HANE serum lysed paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) cells when complement was activated by acidification, CoF and inulin, indicating that the terminal steps of complement were activated in the absence of C4, presumably by the alternate or properdin pathway. Normal but not HANE serum lysed cells coated with anti-I, indicating that complement was activated by the C1-dependent classic pathway. HANE serum partially supported lysis by serum at reduced ionic strength, indicating that the activation of terminal complement components had occurred through both of the pathways of activation. The amount of the third component of human complement (C3) which was bound to the membrane of lysed and unlysed cells by these procedures was determined by anti-C3 absorption and was found to differ for each method of complement activation. In general, more C3 was bound to lysed cells than to unlysed cells. For given conditions, more was bound to PNH cells than to normal cells. However, very much less bound C3 was required for lysis of the PNH cells than for lysis of normal cells. These two phenomena, especially the latter, account for the marked lysis of PNH cells when complement is activated. Normal cells treated with AET (aminoethylisothiouronium bromide) did not bind more C3 than untreated cells and the lysed cells had less bound C3 than lysed PNH cells.

Angioedema↗

Interferon-gamma induces biosynthesis of complement components C2, C4 and factor H by human proximal tubular epithelial cells.

In a previous study the authors demonstrated that the production of complement component C4 by human kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) is upregulated by interferon gamma (IFN-gamma). In the present study the authors describe that PTEC in culture express both mRNA and protein of the IFN-gamma receptor complex, and that culture of PTEC with 1000 U/ml IFN-gamma for 72 h results in enhanced production not only of C4 (36.1 ng/10(6) cells), but also of C2 (10.8 ng/10(6) cells) and Factor H (17.5 ng/10(6) cells). Unstimulated PTEC produced 0.5 ng/10(6) cells, 0.5 ng/10(6) cells and 0.4 ng/10(6) cells of C2, C4 and Factor H, respectively. The upregulation of the three complement components was dose- and time-dependent and specific for IFN-gamma because the effect of IFN-gamma was abolished by a monoclonal antibody directed against IFN-gamma. Furthermore no effect of other cytokines was observed. The regulation of synthesis of C2, C4 and Factor H occurred at the transcriptional level as shown by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and dot-blot analysis. Taken together with the observation that in normal kidney tissue the tubuli express IFN-gamma receptor alpha-chain and a signal transducing protein, the present study implies that enhanced production of complement by PTEC may occur during a local immune response by in situ generation of IFN-gamma by infiltrating T-cells in the interstitium of the kidney.

Complement C2↗