From the study of 52 families and 15 homozygous typing cells, 234 MHC complement haplotypes were characterized for features in the DNA of the complotype region: C2/Sst I (2.75, 2.70, 2.65, and 2.40 kb), BF/Taq I (6.6 and 4.5 kb), C4 5'/Bgl II (15 and 4.5 kb), C4 5'/Taq I (7.0, 6.4, 6.0 and 5.4 kb) and C4 3'/Xba I/BamH I (11 and 4 + 7 kb) restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP's), by th...

Background: Previous studies have indicated that complement may be activated or inherently abnormal in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and it has been suggested that immune complex deposition plays a part in the microvascular damage of this disease. Objective: To study several aspects of the complement system in 24 patients with SSc. Methods: Complement dependent prevention of immune precipitation (P...

Since diabetic patients suffer from protracted infections, the aim of this study was to determine the functions of serum complement and its relationship with immunoglobulin profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). A total of 55 DM patients and 54 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Serum IgG was measured by nephelometry, complement components C3 and C4, and IgA were ...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have indicated that complement may be activated or inherently abnormal in systemic sclerosis (SSc), and it has been suggested that immune complex deposition plays a part in the microvascular damage of this disease. OBJECTIVE To study several aspects of the complement system in 24 patients with SSc. METHODS Complement dependent prevention of immune precipitation (...

A model which permits evaluation in molecular terms of the role of antibody and of complement in the immune destruction of erythrocytes was established in the guinea pig. IgM and IgG immunoglobulins were isolated from rabbit anti-guinea pig erythrocyte antisera and were used to sensitize (51)Cr-labeled guinea pig erythrocytes. The average number of complement-fixing sites per erythrocyte formed...

In experimentally induced malnutrition in rats, there was no significant difference between the measured level of complement activity of the classical pathway (50% hemolytic complement [CH50]) and that of the alternative pathway (ACH50), although the levels of complement components C1, C4, C2, and C3 were depressed significantly. The complement activity showed a temporary elevation with a peak ...

Undesired activation of the complement system is a major pathogenic factor contributing to various immune complex diseases and conditions such as hyperacute xenograft rejection. We aim for prevention of complement-mediated damage by specific inhibition of the classical complement pathway, thus not affecting the antimicrobial functions of the complement system via the alternative pathway and the...

Clarification of the nature of the proteins involved in the cleavage of C3b and C4b is of great interest because these complement fragments are opsonins and, in addition, they modulate the activities of several key enzymes of the complement cascade. When these complement peptides are in solution, proteolysis by a serum enzyme, C3binactivator (C3bINA), 1 requires cofactors: f l lH in the case of...

AIMS To assess the effect of cellulosic dialysis membranes on the production of complement degradation products to determine to the role of the classical pathway. METHOD Complement activation was studied in 33 patients during a single haemodialysis session using cellulosic membranes. Pre- and post-dialysis plasma EDTA valves of C3, C4, C3dg, C4d and C reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Sta...

BACKGROUND Accumulating data suggest an immunopathogenic role for the complement system as a causative element in pregnancy loss (PL). Formation of pathogenic antibodies with activation of the classical pathway may have a role, but this mechanism fails to characterize the majority of cases with recurrent PL. We established the prevalence of hypocomplementemia without circulating autoantibodies ...