[The role of complement in the microlymphocytoxicity test. Human and guinea pig complement].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Tumor tissue specimens from human ovarian cancer patients were assessed for relative mRNA abundance levels of several genes thought to be involved in the development of in vitro drug resistance in this disease. Higher mRNA levels of Xeroderma pigmentosum group B (XPB), which links DNA repair with DNA transcription, and of Cockayne's syndrome group B (CSB), which is essential for gene-specific repair, were observed in tumor tissues that were clinically resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy, as compared with tissues from patients responding to therapy. In a cohort of 27 patients, mRNA levels of XPB averaged 5-fold higher in platinum-resistant tumors (P = 0.001); and for CSB, mRNA levels averaged 6-fold higher but with greater variability (P = 0.033). Concurrently, these platinum-resistant tumor tissues did not exhibit significantly higher mRNA levels for the MDR1 (multidrug-resistance) gene (P = 0.134) or of the metallothionein-II (MT-II) gene (P = 0.598). Since these platinum-resistant tumors also show higher mRNA levels of ERCC1 and XPA, platinum resistance appears to be associated with concurrent up-regulation of four genes (XPA, ERCC1, XPB, and CSB). These four genes participate in DNA damage excision activity, gene-specific repair, and linkage of DNA repair with DNA transcription. These data suggest that concurrent up-regulation of genes involved in nucleotide excision repair may be important in clinical resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy in this disease.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Inappropriate or excessive activation of the complement system can lead to harmful, potentially life-threatening consequences due to severe inflammatory tissue destruction. These consequences are clinically manifested in various disorders, including septic shock, multiple organ failure and hyperacute graft rejection. Genetic complement deficiencies or complement depletion have been proven to be beneficial in reducing tissue injury in a number of animal models of severe complement-dependent inflammation. It is therefore believed that therapeutic inhibition of complement is likely to arrest the process of certain diseases. Attempts to efficiently inhibit complement include the application of endogenous soluble complement inhibitors (C1-inhibitor, recombinant soluble complement receptor 1- rsCR1), the administration of antibodies, either blocking key proteins of the cascade reaction (e.g. C3, C5), neutralizing the action of the complement-derived anaphylatoxin C5a, or interfering with complement receptor 3 (CR3, CD18/11b)-mediated adhesion of inflammatory cells to the vascular endothelium. In addition, incorporation of membrane-bound complement regulators (DAF-CD55, MCP-CD46, CD59) has become possible by transfection of the correspondent cDNA into xenogeneic cells. Thereby, protection against complement-mediated inflammatory tissue damage could be achieved in various animal models of sepsis, myocardial as well as intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, adult respiratory distress syndrome, nephritis and graft rejection. Supported by results from first clinical trials, complement inhibition appears to be a suitable therapeutic approach to control inflammation. Current strategies to specifically inhibit complement in inflammation have been discussed at a recent meeting on the 'Immune Consequences of Trauma, Shock and Sepsis', held from March 4-8, 1997, in Munich, Germany. The Congress (chairman: E. Faist, Munich, Germany), which was held in close cooperation with various national and international shock and trauma societies, was attended by about 2000 delegates from 40 countries. The major objective of the meeting was to provide an overview on the most state-of-the-art methods to prevent multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)/multiple organ failure (MOF) following the systemic inflammatory response (SIRS) to severe trauma. One of the largest symposia held within the Congress was devoted to current aspects of controlling complement in inflammation (for abstracts see: Shock 1997, 7 Suppl., 71-75). After providing the audience with information on the scientific background by addressing the clinical relevance of complement activation (G.O. Till, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) and discussing recent developments in modern complement diagnosis (J. Köhl, Hannover, Germany), B.P. Morgan (Cardiff, UK) introduced the symposium's special issue by giving an overview on complement regulatory molecules. Selected topics included overviews on the application of C1 inhibitor (C.E. Hack, Amsterdam, NL), sCR1 (U.S. Ryan, Needham, MA, USA), antibodies to C5 (Y. Wang, New Haven CT, USA) and to the anaphylatoxin C5a (M. Oppermann, Göttingen, Germany), and a report on complement inhibition in cardiopulmonary bypass (T.E. Mollnes, Bodø, Norway). The growing interest of clinicians in complement-directed anti-inflammatory therapy, and the fact that only some of the various aspects of therapeutic complement inhibition could be addressed on the meeting, has motivated the author to expand a Congress report into a short comprehensive review on recent strategies to control complement in inflammation.
In periodontal disease, IgG1 and IgA1 antibodies produced in situ deposit on antigens in the affected tissues. Thus, there is an interest in the effect of co-deposited IgA1 antibodies on complement activation by IgG1-immune complexes. In the present study, we first analyzed the effect of IgA1-immune complexes on complement using human IgA1 antibodies to dansyl (with dansylated human serum albumin serving as the immobilized antigen). It was observed that these IgA1-immune complexes when incubated for prolonged times with 33% human serum as a source of complement received C4b and C3b deposition. As C4b and C3b deposited on the IgA1 antibodies and on the antigenic surface, the complement-coated IgA1 antibodies departed. These fluid-phase complement-coated IgA1 antibodies were transferred to antigen-coated microtiter-ELISA plates, where they became bound to the antigens. Thus, the complement-coated IgA1 antibodies retained their antigen-binding function, especially as a proportion of their covalently bound C3b progressively degraded to iC3b and C3d. Genetically engineered carbohydrate-deficient mutant human IgA1 antibodies were used to assess the role of carbohydrate in accepting the C4b and C3b depositions, and these studies indicated that the carbohydrate on the Fc-region of IgA1 played a positive role. Another interesting finding generated by this study was that when IgA1 was co-deposited with IgG1 antibodies, and serum complement was added, the IgG1 antibodies tended to remain on the antigenic surface. The co-deposited IgA1 antibodies not only controlled (reduced) the rate of the consumption of the first component of complement (C1) and of classical complement pathway activation by IgG1-immune complexes (and therein reduced the rate of complement-mediated dissolution of the IgG1-immune complexes), but also the co-deposited IgA1 antibodies simultaneously intercepted/accepted C4b and C3b, then departed, as complement began to cover the antigenic surfaces. The process in which complement-coated IgA1 antibodies transferred to non-complement-coated antigens is termed complement-coated antibody-transfer/transport (CCAT). In this way, IgA1 antibodies extended the efficiency of the complement system by insuring the specific IgA1 antibody-mediated transport of the captured biologically active complement fragments to those antigens stimulating the IgA1 antibody response but not yet neutralized (completely coated) with complement. Simultaneously by impeding the rate of C1 consumption and by intercepting C4b and C3b, IgA1 antibodies slowed C4b and C3b deposition on the antigenic surface and on the co-deposited IgG1 antibodies. Thus, in the presence of ongoing complement activation, the deposition of serum IgA1 antibodies enabled the co-deposited IgG1 antibodies to better maintain their ability to interact with antigens. We termed this latter phenomenon, preservation of IgG antibody deployment (PGD). In summary, co-deposited IgA1 antibodies maximized the efficiency of the complement system, transported their covalently bound complement fragments to specific antigens and sustained the effective deployment of IgG1 antibodies directed to those same antigens.
The complement system is composed of soluble blood plasma proteins and cell membrane proteins. A major function of the soluble complement proteins is to bind to and destroy invading pathogens. The membrane proteins of the complement system are divided into complement receptors and complement regulatory proteins. Complement receptors on phagocytic cells promote binding and engulfment of pathogens coated with complement opsonins, whereas complement regulatory proteins protect healthy tissues from accidental damage by the soluble complement proteins. Upon binding of complement proteins or protein fragments that are generated during complement activation, these receptors and regulatory proteins transduce various signals into cells bearing them. The complement membrane attack complex C5b-9 binds to cell membranes, independent of any receptor, and also activates multiple signaling pathways. The receptor-dependent and -independent signals transduced by complement components are of great consequence to health and disease. Complement plays an important role in immunoregulation by activating B and T lymphocytes. It may also exert pro- or anti-apoptotic effects on various cell types. At sublytic doses, the complement membrane attack complex has wide-range effects on many cell types leading to cellular responses, such as secretion, adherence, aggregation, chemotaxis and even cell division. Sublytic complement also induces increased cell resistance to lytic doses of complement. Finally, certain pathogens take advantage of complement membrane proteins to gain entry into cells. The emerging data on these complement-related signaling pathways is hereby described.
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, differ in their susceptibility to normal human serum and are consequently classified as complement-resistant, complement-sensitive and intermediate complement-sensitive. Most isolates belonging to the genospecies B. afzelii are complement-resistant, while particularly B. garinii isolates were rapidly killed by complement. In general, isolates of the genospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) are intermediate complement-sensitive. Independent of the genospecies, all Borreliae were capable to activate the classical and/or the alternative pathway. Deposition of the activation products C3, C6, and TCC is much stronger by B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. garinii isolates than by B. afzelii isolates. The mechanism(s) on how Borreliae evade complement-mediated bacteriolysis has recently been described by showing that complement-resistant B. afzelii isolates but not the complement-sensitive B. garinii isolates absorb human complement regulators FHL-1/reconectin and factor H. Surface-attached FHL-1/reconectin maintains its complement regulatory activity and supports factor I-mediated C3b cleavage to iC3b. In complement-resistant Borreliae, two outer surface proteins, the 27.5 kDa (CRASP-1, complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 1) and the 20/21 kDa (CRASP-2), are responsible for the surface attachment of the two complement regulators. CRASP-1, which is present in complement-resistant Borreliae, binds preferentially FHL-1/reconectin while CRASP-2, which is restrictively expressed, binds preferentially factor H. Thus, complement-resistant Borreliae bind human complement regulators and control complement activation on their surface and prevent the formation of toxic activation products.
STUDY DESIGN: Complement membrane attack complexes were located in lumbar spine disc tissues by immunohistochemistry. Their occurrence was compared in control discs obtained from organ donors (CD), discs showing a normal macroscopic anatomy, samples of intervertebral disc herniations (DH), and intervertebral discs found to be degenerated by discography, but not herniated (DD). OBJECTIVE: To look for a possible role of complement activation, specifically complement membrane attack complexes, an end product of the classic immune complex-mediated complement activation pathway, in disc pathophysiology. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Recent immunohistochemical and biochemical studies suggest a possible role for immune complexes, as observed by immunohistochemical location and biochemical assay of immunoglobulins M and G in intervertebral disc pathophysiology. Immune complexes may trigger complement activation and ultimately cell lysis. There are, however, currently no reports on complement activation in disc tissues, although immune (antigen-antibody) complexes have been demonstrated. Such immune complexes have been reported to occur on or near to disc cells in DH tissues. METHODS: Thin frozen sections of disc tissue from CD (n = 9 discs), DH (n = 58 discs), and DD (n = 11 discs) were cut and then immunostained with a monoclonal antibody to the complement membrane attack complex (C5b-9) using avidin-biotin complex (ABC) immunostaining. The presence or absence of complement membrane attack complex immunoreactivity was compared in the various subtypes of DH and also with preoperative duration of radicular pain. RESULTS: Complement membrane attack complexes could be observed in none of the CDs studied. In contrast, in more than one third of both the DH (21/58, 36.2%) and the DD (4/11, 36.4%), immunoreactivity to complement membrane attack complexes could be observed in disc cells. In DD discs, immunoreactivity to complement membrane attack complexes was most often present in anulus fibrosus samples (5/13, 38.5%). With respect to subtype of DH, complement membrane attack complexes were observed in 19 of 36 sequestrated discs (52.8%), 1 of 16 extrusions (6.3%), and 1 of 6 protrusions (16.7%). Complement membrane attack complexes were more often present with shorter pain duration (P= 0.03), but showed no relation to age. Disc cells often showed a heavy staining pattern for complement membrane attack complexes, suggesting an abundance of these complexes lodged in the membrane of the cells. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant presence of complement membrane attack complexes in sequestrated disc tissue could suggest a role in DH tissue-induced sciatica. Possibly immune (antigen-antibody) complexes, reported in previous studies, trigger the classic pathway of complement activation, with complement membrane attack complexes as the final product. Complement membrane attack complexes also appear to have some as yet undefined role in degenerated nonherniated disc tissue, with a predominant presence in the anulus fibrosus cells of such discs.