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Monocyte chemotactic activity induced by intravitreal endotoxin.

In order to clarify the factors responsible for the cellular infiltrate characteristic of anterior uveitis, the authors have induced inflammation in rabbits by the intravitreal injection of 100 ng of Escherichia coli or Salmonella endotoxin (ET). A 2% concentration of aqueous humor 18 to 24 hr after ET consistently induced monocyte migration as measured in modified Boyden chambers. Activity was significantly greater in these samples than in aqueous after saline injection or 3 hr after endotoxin injection (prior to cellular infiltrate). Using either sephadex G-75 molecular sieve chromatography or a cibacron blue column, the vast majority of migratory activity co-eluted with albumin. Serum albumin, however, at a comparable concentration did not induce migration. Activity was largely heat- and acid-stable and was maximal in the presence of a concentration gradient, indicating that it was chemotactic rather than chemokinetic. A second peak of activity eluted from the G-75 column just prior to a marker with molecular weight of 427 and was also present in eluates from normal aqueous humor. Chloroform:methanol extraction, radioimmunoassay, and high performance liquid chromatography indicated that a small portion of the chemotactic activity could be ascribed to lipid including leukotriene B4. In contrast to the prominence of complement (C5a) derived chemotactic activity resulting from intravenous ET, C5a was not a major contributor to aqueous chemotactic activity subsequent to local ET. These observations demonstrate that leukocyte migration factors in aqueous humor can be characterized and compared. This approach can be used to test the hypothesis that subsets of anterior uveal inflammation might be distinguished on the basis of associated chemotactic factors.

Animals

Complement-mediated serum cytotoxicity for Leishmania major amastigotes: killing by serum deficient in early components of the membrane attack complex.

Leishmania major, the agent of Oriental sore, is an obligate intracellular parasite of macrophages in mammalian hosts. Man's immune defense against this organism requires participation of specifically sensitized lymphocytes and activated macrophages. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated that as little as 1/120 concentration of normal human serum is highly cytotoxic for the amastigote form of L. major. Initiation of the lethal process occurs rapidly, requiring only 30 sec of parasite exposure to serum, and is mediated by antibody-independent activation of the alternate complement pathway. The molecular mechanism of cytotoxicity is not known, but may require participation of the membrane attack complex, C5b-9. We investigated this possibility by treating amastigotes with human sera genetically deficient in complement components C5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. We then measured viability of treated parasites by amastigote-promastigote conversion. Our results were quite unexpected: not only did C9-deficient serum kill organisms, but sera singly deficient in each of the preceding components C6 to C8 were also cytotoxic. The degree of cytotoxicity was related both to serum concentration and to the point in the complement cascade at which deficiency occurred. Sera lacking C6 or C7 were less cytotoxic than those deficient in C8, which were less toxic than those deficient in C9. Cytoxicity of deficient sera was abolished by heating serum to 56 degrees C for 30 min. These findings indicate that an incomplete membrane attack complex may mediate cytotoxicity for L. major amastigotes. Moreover, our results raise important questions regarding the mechanism by which the complex is assembled on the surface of a living, unicellular eukaryotic organism.

Animals

Increased expression of the C3b receptor by neutrophils and complement activation during haemodialysis.

Activation of complement and the relative number of C3b receptors expressed by neutrophils was assessed in patients undergoing haemodialysis with new and reused cellulosic membranes, and with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes. Activation of complement was assessed by radioimmunoassay of plasma C3adesArg, and neutrophil C3b receptors were measured by fluorescent flow cytometry of cells indirectly stained with F(ab')2 anti-C3b receptor. During first use of cellulosic dialysis membranes by four patients, the mean expression of C3b receptors by neutrophils in blood taken from the afferent line of the extra-corporeal system after 10, 20, 60 and 120 min of dialysis increased to 127, 189, 255 and 296%, respectively. The mean plasma C3adesArg concentrations in the corresponding samples of blood were 225, 320, 236 and 160% of the pre-dialysis levels. During third and fifth use of the same membranes by these patients, the mean C3b receptor expression by neutrophils did not exceed 150% of the predialysis determination, and correspondingly minimal increases in plasma C3adesArg were observed. Analysis of blood taken simultaneously from the afferent and efferent lines of the first use cellulosic dialysis system indicated that the increase in C3b receptor expression by neutrophils and generation of C3adesArg occurred when blood came in contact with the dialysis membrane. Haemodialysis of four additional patients with the non-complement activating PMMA membrane caused only modest or no increases in neutrophil C3b receptors. Thus, complement activation in vivo is associated with up-regulation of neutrophilic C3b receptors, indicating that this cellular response previously described only in model, in vitro systems, is a physiological mechanism by which this cell can augment its capacity for responding to C3b opsonized material.

Biocompatible Materials

Role of complement in the immune response.

Evidence has accumulated that shows that fragments of C3 are potent inhibitors of immune responses. A low-molecular-weight fragment of C3 and fragments possessing leukocyte-mobilizing activity have been shown to block both antigen- and mitogen-induced human T cell proliferation, and to block mixed lymphocyte culture responses and the generation of cytotoxic lymphocytes. The same fragments inhibit the development of secondary in vitro antibody responses of rat lymphocytes. C3b can be shown to inhibit the polyclonal activation of human lymphocytes by pokeweed mitogen, but it has no effect on T cell proliferation or on the generation of cytotoxic T cells. We now propose that different C3 fragments selectively act on various lymphocyte subsets and thus play a profound role in regulating both immune effector functions and the intensity of the immune response.

Animals

Prophylactic treatment in the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

This article summarizes some ways of prophylactic treatment in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) such as the prevention of the appearance and/or of the rise of the TNF levels and the prevention of the activation or of the damaging capabilities of the activated neutrophil in ARDS, and also the ways related to the prevention of the action of other mediators involved in the inflammatory processes, such as the C5a complement component or the leukotrienes. We can treat prophylactically the "at risk" group for ARDS before the appearance of clinical symptoms, prior to endotoxin with corticosteroids or anti-TNF monoclonal antibodies. Another way could be the inhibition of the TNF production at the transcription level with iloprost or at the translation level with pentoxifylline (PTX). For preventing the neutrophil damaging capabilities, we can modify its structure and functions rendering it defective or we can decrease the neutrophil adherence by using antibodies antiadhesion molecules, iloprost or PTX, and we can prevent neutrophil activation and the release of oxidants in the circulation by using the fluid phase of GMP 140.

Adult

Assessment of the potential pathogenicity of type II collagen autoantibodies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence of restricted IgG3 subclass expression and activation of complement C5 to C5a.

IgG subclass analysis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the autoantibody to native type II collagen, detected in 9 patients with classic or definite rheumatoid arthritis, demonstrated a predominance of IgG3 autoantibody. Gm allotyping revealed no obvious association with a particular phenotype. In comparative studies, IgG antibodies to the capsular polysaccharides of pneumococci and tetanus toxoid protein in these same patients consisted predominantly of IgG2 and IgG4. Purified type II collagen autoantibody from 3 of these patients activated complement C5 to C5a when bound to human cartilage in vitro, as measured by radioimmunoassay. These results represent direct evidence of a potential pathogenic role for this autoantibody in rheumatoid arthritis.

Animals

Role of thromboxane A2 in the cardiovascular response to intracoronary C5a.

Intracoronary administration of complement component C5a induces transient decreases in coronary blood flow and regional left ventricular segment shortening, associated with intramyocardial granulocyte trapping. We evaluated the influence of a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (acetylsalicylic acid, n = 8) or a thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist (SQ29548, n = 6) on these C5a-induced cardiovascular responses. Open-chest anesthetized pigs were instrumented to monitor heart rate, arterial blood pressure, left anterior descending coronary blood flow, regional left ventricular segment shortening, and dP/dt. Oxygen content, lactate concentration, leukocyte count, and thromboxane B2, the stable metabolite of thromboxane A2, were measured in arterial and regional coronary venous blood. Repetitive injections of intracoronary C5a (500 ng) given 60 minutes apart showed no tachyphylaxis of the hemodynamic response. However, tachyphylaxis was seen in coronary blood flow changes when injections were spaced 30 minutes apart. An increase in myocardial oxygen extraction and lactate production was observed after intracoronary C5a. Administration of acetylsalicylic acid (50 mg/kg i.v.) attenuated C5a-induced decreases in coronary blood flow (-8 +/- vs. -3 +/- 1 ml/min) and regional left ventricular segmental shortening (-10 +/- 3% vs. -2 +/- 1%) and blocked the maximal increase in coronary venous thromboxane B2 (2.0 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.2 +/- 0.1 pmol/ml plasma). Furthermore, SQ29548 (30 micrograms/kg/min) reduced C5a-induced changes in coronary blood flow (-13 +/- 2 vs. -4 +/- 2 ml/min) and segmental shortening (-14 +/- 2% vs. -3 +/- 1%). Neither cyclooxygenase inhibition nor thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 antagonism blocked the decrease in coronary venous granulocyte count.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals

Complement split product C5a mediates the lipopolysaccharide-induced mobilization of CFU-s and haemopoietic progenitor cells, but not the mobilization induced by proteolytic enzymes.

Intravenous (i.v.) injection of mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and the proteolytic enzymes trypsin and proteinase, mobilizes pluripotent haemopoietic stem cells (CFU-s) as well as granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (GM-CFU) and the early progenitors of the erythroid lineage (E-BFU) from the haemopoietic tissues into the peripheral blood. We investigated the involvement of the complement (C) system in this process. It appeared that the early mobilization induced by LPS and other activators of the alternative complement pathway, such as Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and zymosan, but not that induced by the proteolytic enzymes, was absent in C5-deficient mice. The mobilization by C activators in these mice could be restored by injection of C5-sufficient serum, suggesting a critical role for C5. The manner in which C5 was involved in the C activation-mediated stem cell mobilization was studied using a serum transfer system. C5-sufficient serum, activated in vitro by incubation with Lm and subsequently liberated from the bacteria, caused mobilization in both C5-sufficient and C5-deficient mice. C5-deficient serum was not able to do so. The resistance of the mobilizing principle to heat treatment (56 degrees C, 30 min) strongly suggests that it is identical with the C5 split product C5a, or an in vivo derivative of C5a. This conclusion was reinforced by the observation that a single injection of purified rat C5a into C5-deficient mice also induced mobilization of CFU-s.

Animals

Guillain-Barré syndrome: activated complement components C3a and C5a in CSF.

Plasma and spinal fluid levels of complement activation products C3a and C5a were quantitated by radioimmunoassay in a group of 16 patients suffering from acute monophasic Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Median CSF levels of C3a (118 ng/ml) and of C5a (9.6 ng/ml) were significantly elevated when compared with samples from a control group of patients with noninflammatory neurologic diseases. Plasma concentrations of these anaphylotoxic peptides were not significantly different between the two populations. Our findings indicate that the complement system is activated in the CSF of patients with acute GBS. Complement activation products may contribute to the inflammatory changes observed in this disorder.

Complement C3

C5a fragment of bovine complement. Purification, bioassays, amino-acid sequence and other structural studies.

C5a and des-Arg-C5a have been purified from bovine serum in milligram amounts. The progress of the purification was followed by measuring the chemotactic activity of the complement fragments. The two polypeptides induce activation of neutrophil-oriented locomotion and secretion with very similar dose/response effects. After preparing a rabbit antiserum to bovine C5a/des-Arg-C5a, a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was set up for the detection of C5a from 5 ng/mol to 1 microgram/ml. The complete primary structure of bovine C5a, which consists of 74 amino acids, has been determined by sequence analysis of the tryptic peptides, aligned by peptides derived from a chymotryptic digest, and by partially sequencing the intact molecule. Bovine C5a has a sequence homology of 78% and 70% with porcine and human C5a, respectively, reacts with an antiserum to porcine C5a and is recognized by cell surface receptors on human neutrophils. Finally, the secondary structure of bovine C5a was investigated by circular dicroic spectroscopy and predicted from the amino acid sequence. A comparison of the content and distribution of alpha-helical and/or hydropathic regions, suggests that the three-dimensional structure of C5a might be modeled from the known crystal structure of the homologous C3a molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence

Chemotactic factor for tumor cells derived from the C5a fragment of complement component C5.

Previously, we have stablished that the fifth component of complement (C5) serves as an important source of mediators that have locomotory (chemotactic) activity for leukocytes and tumor cells. C5a, a fragment (Mr 11,200) derived from the NH2-terminal portion of the alpha chain of C5, is the major chemotactic peptide for leukocytes. The present studies demonstrate that cleavage of C5a with trypsin generates a derivative peptide that is chemotactic for tumor cells (Walker carcinosarcoma). This fragment has an estimated Mr of 6000 as assessed by gel filtration and does not require the COOH-terminal arginine of C5a, because equivalent amounts of chemotactic activity for tumor cells can be generated from des-Arg-C5a by digestion with trypsin. The C5a-derived chemotactic peptide for tumor cells demonstrates peak activity at approximately 1 pM. These studies emphasize the key role of the C5a region of the C5 molecule in the generation of peptides that affect locomotory responses of cells.

Animals

Leukocyte aggregation response to quantitative plasma levels of C3a and C5a.

Granulocyte aggregation (GA) response has previously been described as a sensitive assay for complement activation in sepsis. Complement component C5a has been implicated as the plasma factor responsible for GA. The quantitative interaction of complement components C3a and C5a with GA, however, is not clearly defined. This study evaluates the relationship of GA responses to plasma levels of C5a and C3a in zymosan-activated plasma (ZAP). The C3a and C5a levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in serial dilutions of ZAP. Granulocyte aggregation responses of normal human leukocytes were determined for each ZAP dilution. The C5a levels in a 1:16 dilution of ZAP were higher than in normal plasma (22 +/- 7 vs 9 +/- 3 ng/mL), as were GA responses (24 +/- 1 vs 11 +/- 2 percentage of maximum light transmission). The C3a levels in a 1:8 dilution of ZAP are elevated above those of normal plasma (656 +/- 167 vs 411 +/- 29 ng/mL). Correlation coefficients were .9809 for C3a vs GA, .9788 for C5a vs G, and .9860 for C3a vs C5a. Complement components C3a and C5a are involved in GA in vitro. Granulocyte aggregometry can detect low levels of activated complement in ZAP but may not be specific for C5a. The relative contribution of C3a and C5a to observed GA is not clear from the data.

Cell Aggregation