COLD ACTIVATION OF CLASSICAL COMPLEMENT PATHWAY - CAUSE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLASMA AND SERUM COMPLEMENT IN LIVER-CIRRHOSIS

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 27  (1) , 34-37
Abstract
The mechanism responsible for making the differences between plasma and serum complement [C] (CH50 [total hemolytic C]) was studied on 8 patients with hepatitis-B(s [surface]) antigen negative alcoholic liver cirrhosis. CH50 and C4 [the 4th C component] activities of the sera of all patients were equal to those of the corresponding EDTA-plasma, when sera were separated after clotting the blood at 37.degree. C. CH50 and C4 activities of the sera, prepared at 21.degree. C or 4.degree. C, from 4 of 8 patients were very low. When serum from 1 of these 4 patients was added to normal human serum, C4 activity of the serum mixture markedly decreased at 4.degree. C but not at 37.degree. C. The inactivation of C4 was prevented by adding EDTA or heparin to the serum mixture. Very low C in the sera, prepared at 21.degree. C or 4.degree. C, of the 4 cases were apparently due to the cold activation of the classical C pathway.