C3 Polymorphism and circulating immune complexes in patients with multiple sclerosis

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Abstract
The phenotypes of the complement factor C3 have been evaluated in 60 patients with multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and the results correlated to the occurrence of circulating immune complexes (CIC). A significantly increased frequency of the C3F‐gene was found among the patients, and closely associated with the occurrence of CIC. A relative risk incidence of 4.1 was found for C3F‐positive individuals among M.S. patients with detectable CIC. Low C3 levels in serum were found in 30% of the patients, and almost all belonged to the group without CIC and showed a C3‐type distribution similar to normal controls. A different immunological reaction pattern (type II reaction) in these patients seems possible, and a genetically determined immunological abnormality predisposing to M.S. is therefore suggested.