Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), in contrast to animal retroviruses such as murine leukemia virus, is not lysed by human complement. Nevertheless, HIV-1 activates complement via the classical pathway independent of antibody, and C3b deposition facilitates infection of complement receptor-bearing cells. Using gel exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-1000, purified virions were fou...

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), in contrast to animal retroviruses such as murine leukemia virus, is not lysed by human complement. Nevertheless, HIV-1 activates complement via the classical pathway independent of antibody, and C3b deposition facilitates infection of complement receptor-bearing cells. Using gel exclusion chromatography on Sephacryl S-1000, purified virions were fou...

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) caused by C1-esterase inhibitor deficiency is an autosomal-dominant disease resulting from a mutation in the C1-inhibitor gene. HAE is characterized by recurrent attacks of intense, massive, localized subcutaneous edema involving the extremities, genitalia, face, or trunk, or submucosal edema of upper airway or bowels. These symptoms may be disabling, have a dramatic...

The biologic activity of C1 esterase, activated forms of factor XII and kallikrein at sites of vascular inflammation may be regulated by C1 inhibitor (C1 INH) elaborated by endothelial cells. Therefore, we investigated whether human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in culture produce C1 INH. Passaged HUVEC contain 1.6 +/- 0.8 micrograms of C1 INH/10(8) cells (mean +/- S.D.; n = 7) which...

Complement is a crucial arm of the innate immune response against invading bacterial pathogens, and one of its main functions is to recognize and destroy target cells. Similar to other pathogens, Escherichia coli has evolved mechanisms to overcome complement activation. It is well known that capsular polysaccharide may confer resistance to complement-mediated killing and phagocytosis, being one...

The importance of laboratory testing in the diagnosis of hereditary angioedema (HAE) has increased with the advent of new treatment options in recent years. It has been 50 years since HAE was linked to a decrease of C1INH (the inhibitor of complement enzyme, C1 esterase), a link that provided for the first laboratory test available for this disorder. HAE is subdivided into types that can be di...

Plasma biomarkers to aid the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or to monitor disease progression have long been sought and continue to be widely studied. Biomarkers that correlate with AD polygenic risk score, a measure of the polygenic architecture of the disease and highly predictive of AD status, would be excellent candidates. Therefore, we undertook a preliminary study to assess t...

Specific rabbit anti-cardiolipin (anti-CL) antibodies were used to investigate the hypothesis that cardiolipin, associated with mitochondrial membrane proteins, binds C1 and facilitates activation of the complement cascade following reperfusion of ischemic myocardium. By immunoelectron microscopy, anti-CL localized to subsarcolemmal mitochondria, emerging through breaks in membranes of damaged ...

Purpose of Review Over the past two decades, significant strides made in our understanding of the etiology of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in transplantation have put the complement system in the spotlight. Here, we review recent progress made in the field of pharmacologic complement inhibition in clinical transplantation and aim to understand the impact of this therapeutic approach on out...

In a previous study, the authors found persistent presence of acute inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein and complement factors locally in burn wounds. This persistence of acute inflammation may not only delay local burn wound healing but also have a systemic effect, for instance on the heart. Here, the effects of C1 esterase inhibitor (C1inh), an inhibitor of complement activation, ...