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Complement components and their activation products in pleural fluid.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the role of complement components in pleural effusion measured with novel markers of complement activation, to assess which pathway of activation is predominant in different diseases, and to find out whether the analysis of complement components and their activation products could help in diagnostic procedure differentiating the etiologies of pleural effusion. PATIENTS: The study population consisted of 71 patients who had pleural effusion secondary to tuberculosis (n=23), rheumatic disease (n=10), or malignancy (n=38). MEASUREMENTS: Complement components and their activation products, including the soluble terminal complex SC5b-9, were measured in plasma and pleural fluid. RESULTS: In all patients with rheumatic pleurisy, pleural fluid SC5b-9 was higher than 2 AU/mL and in all patients with malignant pleural fluid it was lower than 2 AU/mL. The mean level of SC5b-9 in rheumatic pleural effusion was also significantly higher than in tuberculosis. In addition, the concentrations of pleural fluid C3 and C4 were significantly lower and the ratio C4d/C4 was significantly higher in rheumatic compared with tuberculous or malignant pleurisy. In plasma, both SC5b-9 and C1s-C1r-C1INH-complexes were significantly higher in rheumatic subjects than in other patients. In stepwise multinominal logistic regression analyses, the most significant predictors for rheumatic pleural fluid were high pleural fluid SC5b-9 and low C4. CONCLUSIONS: These observations indicate that the complement cascade is activated through both the classic and the alternative pathways in rheumatic pleurisy. Determinations of SC5b-9 and C4d/C4 in pleural fluid were the best variables differentiating rheumatic, tuberculous, and malignant effusions.

Adult↗

[Action of complement in normal pregnancy and gestosis].

Behaviour of the complement system was studied in normal pregnancy, puerperium and in pre-eclampsia. CH50 showed no variations during normal pregnancy, excepting for first trimester, whereas it increased in puerperium. CVFAH50 increased steadily during all trimesters. C1q, C1s and C1-INH progressively decreased, while C3, C5, C9 and C3PA augmented. All values were clearly raised in puerperium. The decreased values of the early classical pathway components could be attributed to "blocking factors" (antibodies or immune-complexes) which could interfere with cellular immunity at fetoplacental level. The other components probably increase because there is a hormone-stimulated raised synthesis and a high turnover. The data obtained from pre-eclampsia did not reveal significant variations as compared to normal third trimester pregnancy, excepting for CVFAH50 which was reduced. This, however, does not exclude the possibility that there is an immunological pathogenesis of the pre-eclampsia, since activation of the C system is not always detectable in circulation.

Adult↗

The purification and properties of the second component of human complement.

The second component of human complement (C2) was purified by a combination of euglobulin precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and affinity chromatography. The final product was homogeneous by the criterion of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and represents a purification of about 4000-fold from serum with 15-20% yield. Component C2 comprises a single carbohydrate-containing polypeptide chain, with an apparent mol.wt. of 102000; alanine is the N-terminal amino acid. The molecule is rapidly cleaved by activated subcomponent C1s with the loss of haemolytic activity to yield two fragments with apparent mol.wts. of 74000 and 34000. These fragments are not linked by disulphide bonds and can be easily separated. A second protein isolated during the purification of component C2 was identified by its haemolytic and antigenic properties as complement Factor B, the protein serving an analogous function to component C2 in the alternative pathway. The protein, which is also a single carbohydrate-containing polypeptide chain, has an apparent mol.wt. of 95000 and threonine as N-terminal amino acid. The amino acid analyses of component C2 and Factor B are compared.

Chromatography, Agarose↗

The role of C1 esterase inhibitor in the activation of C1r, a subcomponent of the first component of complement from human plasma.

Clr was isolated from human serum by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography in the presence of EDTA. The isolated Clr did not hydrolyze N(alpha)-acetyl-L-arginine methyl ester, unless activated by brief treatment with trypsin [EC 3.4.21.4]. On thecolumn, the C1 esterase inhibitor activity was found to coincide with Clr but not C1s (another subcomponent of the first component) C1r was isolated from the euglobulin fraction of human serum by DEAE-cellulose column chromatograph. On Sephadex G-200 column chromatography, Clr was eluted in the void volume, whereas Clr was eluted in a position corresponding to a molecular weight of 140,000-160,000. The results indicated that, on activation, Clr was converted to an enzyme of lower molecular weight...

Chromatography, Ion Exchange↗

Complexes between C1q and C3 or C4: novel and specific markers for classical complement pathway activation.

Classical pathway activation is often assessed by measuring circulating levels of activated C4. However, this parameter does not discriminate between activation through the classical or the lectin pathway. We hypothesized that during classical pathway activation, complexes are formed between C1q and activated C4 or C3. Using ELISA, we investigated whether such complexes constitute specific markers for classical pathway activation. In vitro, C1q-C3d/C4d complexes were generated upon incubation of normal recalcified plasma with aggregated IgG or an anti-C1q mAb that activates C1 (mAb anti-C1q-130). In contrast, during incubation with C1s or trypsin, C1q-C3d/C4d complexes were not generated, which excludes an innocent bystander effect. Additionally, C1q-C3d/C4d complexes were not generated during activation of the alternative or the lectin pathway. Repeated freezing and thawing did not influence levels of C1q-C3d/C4d complexes in recalcified plasma. To measure C1q-complement complexes in plasma samples, we separated unbound complement proteins from C1q-C3d/C4d complexes in the samples prior to testing with ELISA. In samples from patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery or suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, we found higher levels of C1q-C4 complexes than in samples from healthy individuals. We conclude that complexes between C1q and C4 or C3 are specific markers of classical complement pathway activation.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Assembly and enzymatic properties of the catalytic domain of human complement protease C1r.

The catalytic properties of C1r, the protease that mediates activation of the C1 complex of complement, are mediated by its C-terminal region, comprising two complement control protein (CCP) modules followed by a serine protease (SP) domain. Baculovirus-mediated expression was used to produce fragments containing the SP domain and either 2 CCP modules (CCP1/2-SP) or only the second CCP module (CCP2-SP). In each case, the wild-type species and two mutants stabilized in the proenzyme form by mutations at the cleavage site (R446Q) or at the active site serine residue (S637A), were produced. Both wild-type fragments were recovered as two-chain, activated proteases, whereas all mutants retained a single-chain, proenzyme structure, providing the first experimental evidence that C1r activation is an autolytic process. As shown by sedimentation velocity analysis, all CCP1/2-SP fragments were dimers (5.5-5.6 S), and all CCP2-SP fragments were monomers (3.2-3.4 S). Thus, CCP1 is essential to the assembly of the dimer, but formation of a stable dimer is not a prerequisite for self-activation. Activation of the R446Q mutants could be achieved by extrinsic cleavage by thermolysin, which cleaved the CCP2-SP species more efficiently than the CCP1/2-SP species and yielded enzymes with C1s-cleaving activities similar to their active wild-type counterparts. C1r and its activated fragments all cleaved C1s, with relative efficiencies in the order C1r < CCP1/2-SP < CCP2-SP, indicating that CCP1 is not involved in C1s recognition.

Binding Sites↗

Complement: activation, consequences, and control.

The activation of complement provides the humoral (fluid-phase) effector mechanism most responsible for immune-mediated injury. The classical pathway is activated by an antigen-antibody reaction. The binding of C1q initiates the sequential activation of the eleven proteins. The classical pathway has a calcium-dependent step (C1q, C1r, C1s) and a magnesium-dependent reaction (the enzymatic action of C1s on C4 and C2). The alternative pathway appears to be spontaneously activated, but the perpetuation of that activation is dependent upon the availability of an activating (or protective) surface which interferes with the inactivation of C3b by control proteins. The alternative pathway has a magnesium-dependent step, the binding of B to C3b to form the C3 convertase. Once initiated, the alternative pathway activation results in the sequential activation of nine proteins, six of which are common to both pathways. The activation of complement results in a variety of biologic consequences which can result in injury to the host. The potential destructiveness of the effects of complement activation is modulated by a series of control proteins.

Carrier Proteins↗

Kinetics of the agglutination of IgG-coated latex particles by C1q: the influence of heat-labile serum components.

Interaction between human C1q and IgG coated latex particles has been studied by means of a standard aggregometer equipment. A dose-dependent agglutination was observed and 100 ng of C1q were readily detected. The kinetics of the agglutination was also monitored. Serum, partially purified C1, and high molecular weight fractions from Sephadex G-200 fractionated serum produced agglutination only in the presence of EDTA. In the absence of this chelator these products disintegrated preformed C1q-IgG-latex particle agglutinates. This disagglutinating principle is heat-sensitive and tentatively macromolecular C1 dependent. The most probable basis of the activity is the competition between C1, with a high affinity for IgG particles, and C1q. The inability of C1 to induce particle agglutination might be caused by the C1 subunits C1r and C1s sterically inhibiting the subunit C1q to bridge between the particles.

Agglutination↗

Structural biology of the C1 complex of complement unveils the mechanisms of its activation and proteolytic activity.

C1 is the multimolecular protease that triggers activation of the classical pathway of complement, a major element of antimicrobial host defense also involved in immune tolerance and various pathologies. This 790,000 Da complex is formed from the association of a recognition protein, C1q, and a catalytic subunit, the Ca2+-dependent tetramer C1s-C1r-C1r-C1s comprising two copies of each of the modular proteases C1r and C1s. Early studies mainly based on biochemical analysis and electron microscopy of C1 and its isolated components have allowed for characterization of their domain structure and led to a low-resolution model of the C1 complex in which the elongated C1s-C1r-C1r-C1s tetramer folds into a more compact, "8-shaped" conformation upon interaction with C1q. A major strategy used over the past years has been to dissect the C1 proteins into modular segments to characterize their function and solve their structure by either X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The purpose of this review is to focus on this information, with particular emphasis on the architecture of the C1 complex and the mechanisms underlying its activation and proteolytic activity.

Animals↗

Hormonal regulation of complement biosynthesis in human cell lines--I. Androgens and gamma-interferon stimulate the biosynthesis and gene expression of C1 inhibitor in human cell lines U937 and HepG2.

C1 inhibitor (C1inh), a member of the serine protease inhibitor gene superfamily, is a glycosylated plasma protein inhibiting the proteolytic activities of C1r and C1s and involved in the regulation of coagulation, fibrinolysis and kinin-releasing systems. In this study, the in vitro effect of androgen hormones, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone (TEST) and recombinant human gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN), has been determined on the production of C1inh in human cell lines. In both human monocytoid/histiocytoid cell line U937 and in hepatoma derived cell line HepG2, DHEA and TEST upregulated the gene expression and secretion of C1inh. The most pronounced effect was detected in the concn range 10(-7)-10(-9) M of the hormones. Under the same conditions DHEA and TEST had no detectable effect on the biosynthesis of C3, C2 and factor B by these cells, but DHEA at higher concn (10(-4) M) slightly increased that of C4 in HepG2 cells. Both in U937 and in HepG2 cells recombinant gamma-IFN markedly increased the gene expression and secretion of C1inh. This effect of gamma-IFN was abolished by histamine.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Synthetic peptide inhibitors of complement serine proteases--II. Effects on hemolytic activity and production of C3a and C4a.

Synthetic peptides based on the amino acid sequence at the site of cleavage of C3 by classical and alternative pathway convertases were found to be poor inhibitors of hemolysis except at concns of 1 mM and higher. Synthetic peptides of a second type, based on the C-terminal sequence of antithrombin III, were more effective; the best among them caused significant inhibition of hemolysis at a concn of 5 microM. A hybrid peptide composed of the sequence at the site of cleavage of C4 by C1s attached to an antithrombin III sequence was selective, inhibiting the classical pathway with no effect on the alternative pathway at a concentration of 25 microM. Several of the antithrombin III peptides that inhibited hemolysis did not inhibit C4 activation by the classical pathway or activation of C3 by the classical and alternative pathways suggesting that these peptides affect hemolysis by inhibiting enzymes other than C1s and C4b2a of the classical pathway and C3bBb of the alternative pathway.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification and characterization of RHP (factor H) and study of its interactions with the first component of complement.

RHP has been purified from the plasma of both normal individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RHP from both these sources was shown to be identical with Factor H by reaction with antisera and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis. Factor H, from both normal and RA sera, inhibited the solubilization of immune precipitates but did not affect prevention of immune precipitation. Factor H was shown to inhibit the haemolytic activity of fluid-phase C1, but unlike C1-inhibitor, it had little effect on C1 bound to EA (EAC1). Factor H was shown to complex with intact C1, to isolated C1q and to the C1r:C1s tetramer. However, binding of factor H to C1 did not dissociate the C1 macromolecule. A C1-Factor H complex was detected in the serum and plasma from normal individuals and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and RA. Serum levels of this complex were reduced, by EDTA-treatment of serum and by activation of complement by the classical pathway.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Purification of the fourth, second and fifth components of mouse complement.

The fourth, second and fifth components of mouse complement were purified by a combination of polyethylene glycol precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The final products were homogeneous on SDS-PAGE, and the activity yields were 8.5% for C4, 32% for C2 and 40% for C5. C4 was composed of three polypeptide chains with mol. wts of 90,000, 78,000 and 32,000. C2 was composed of a single polypeptide chain with a mol. wt. of 115,000 and cleaved by C1s into two fragments with mol. wts of 80,000 and 35,000. The half life of C4b2a was 7 min and was not prolonged by the iodination of C2. C2 activity could not be measured using EAC14hu or EAC14gp cells, but measurement was possible with the use of EAC14mo cells with purified C5 components of mouse complement. C5 was composed of two polypeptide chains with mol. wts of 135,000 and 84,000. This is the first report on the purification of functionally active mouse complement components C4, C2 and C5 from plasma.

Animals↗

Differences in the complement activation induced by preformed and nascent immune complexes.

While preformed BSA-anti-BSA immune complexes (PIC) bind efficiently to human RBC after their interaction with human complement, nascent BSA-anti-BSA immune complexes (NIC) formed in the presence of complement do not bind to autologous RBC. The same results were obtained with tetanus toxoid-anti-tetanus toxoid PIC and NIC. In order to elucidate the causes of this marked difference between the RBC-binding properties of PIC and NIC, the profile of complement activation induced by them was compared using haemolytic assays and sensitive ELISA tests. BSA-anti-BSA NIC activated C1 more efficiently than PIC. This was reflected in a higher C4 content of the isolated NIC and higher C1 INH-C1s and lower C1q-fibronectin complex level in the NIC-treated serum as compared to the PIC-treated ones. Although isolated NIC contained more C3 than isolated PIC did, there was no significant difference in the AP activation. These findings suggest that the failure of NIC to bind to RBC is not due to a lack of C4-binding, or C3-binding and/or activation, but rather to the special structure of this type of complex.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗

Complement profiles in human skin lymph during the course of irritant contact dermatitis.

Using microsurgery a superficial peripheral lymph vessel draining the skin of the upper and medial part of the foot was cannulated on the lower leg of two healthy human volunteers. An irritant contact dermatitis was induced 2 days later by the application of 10% sodium lauryl sulphate to the drained skin area. After a further 3 days the spontaneously regressing skin reaction was treated with clobetasol propionate. Lymph was continuously collected in two aliquots per day for 7 days. The levels of total protein, of albumin and globulins, and of complement components of the classical, the alternative and the lytic pathway as well as the C4A and C4B gene products and the regulatory proteins FB, C1INH, C4BP, FH and FI were determined by ELISA and radial immunodiffusion techniques. Postoperatively, the levels of complement proteins and globulins in the lymph were 5-10 times lower than those in normal human serum, but increased during the course of the skin reaction, while the irritant contact dermatitis did not induce a change in their plasma concentration. In comparison to the baseline, the mean values for C1q, C1r, C2, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, FB, C1INH, C4BP, FH and FI exhibited a 3-5-fold increase, C3, total C4, albumin and the alpha 1-globulin fraction a 6-9-fold increase, and C1s, C4A, C4B, FB and alpha 2-, beta- and gamma-globulins a 10-20-fold increase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Albumins↗

Activation of the C4 and C2 components of complement by a proteinase in serum bactericidal factor, Ra reactive factor.

Ra-reactive factor (RaRF) is a C-dependent bactericidal factor that binds specifically to LPS of Ra chemotype strains of Salmonella and kills the bacteria by triggering the C cascade. In the present study, we investigated the components of mouse RaRF that activate C4 and C2. The RaRF bound to LPS-coated E, and activated the C4 on the surface of E, causing the C4 to bind to the cells. Diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP) bound to RaRF and inhibited its ability to activate C4 and C2. Cleavage of the alpha-chain of C4 by RaRF generated a polypeptide with a size similar to that of the alpha'-chain of C4b, which is known to be a product of the cleavage of C4 by C1s subcomponent of C1. A fraction with the ability to activate C4 and C2 was separated from RaRF by gel-permeation chromatography in the presence of EDTA and acetonitrile. This fraction contained a DFP-binding polypeptide with an apparent m.w. of 100,000. This polypeptide is not the C1s in mouse C1 because the sizes of this polypeptide and of the fragments produced by its reduction were different from those of DFP-binding proteinases in mouse C1. These results indicate that mouse RaRF contains a C1s-like serine proteinase that is capable of activating C4 and, probably, C2.

Animals↗

A sensitive specific hemolytic assay for proenzyme C1.

The traditional hemolytic assay of the functional activity of C1, the first component of the classical complement pathway, was modified to permit differentiation between proenzyme (unactivated) C1 and the activated state of the enzyme (C1). A two-step assay was developed to quantitate proenzyme C1. The C1 sample to be assayed was first preincubated with C1 inhibitor, a process that specifically inhibits the enzymatic activity of C1 without affecting the subsequent activation of proenzyme C1 by EAC4, a model immune complex. Since the rate of reaction between C1 inhibitor, a serum regulatory protein, and C1 is concentration-dependent, this step is performed at high C1 and C1 inhibitor concentrations. Subsequent dilutions of the sample prevents C1 inhibitor-mediated inactivation of the C1 that is activated during the C1 hemolytic assay. Thus, in the presence of C1 inhibitor, the level of C1 hemolytic activity specifically reflects the activity of proenzyme C1, while in the absence of C1 inhibitor, the hemolytic activity reflects the total activity of C1. Both the absolute and the relative amounts of the proenzyme (unactivated) and activated C1 can thereby be quantitated in most samples. Furthermore, a partially purified C1 inhibitor reagent, easily prepared from serum, was shown to function identically to the purified C1 inhibitor, obviating the need for a multistep isolation procedure for this protein. Using this simple yet sensitive assay to investigate the efficiency of reconstitution of C1 activity from the purified components C1q, C1r, and C1s, we also find evidence for temperature- and concentration-dependent reaction steps in the formation of functional C1.

Animals↗