title: Complement activation by house dust: reduced reactivity of serum complement in patients with bronchial asthma.
abstract: Among ten different allergens, house-dust extract proved to be the most potent complement activator. It was therefore chosen to investigate the susceptibility of complement in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with extrinsic asthma and control persons. Complement activation in serum was assessed by the appearance of C3d as well as the activation-specific protein-protein complexes C1rs-C1inhibitor (classical pathway) and C3b(Bb)P (alternative pathway). Complement was activated via both the classical and the alternative pathway in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In contrast to earlier observations, however, complement was less affected in the serum of asthmatics than in the serum of normal individuals. Differences were restricted to alternative-pathway activation, probably due to preactivation and/or a significantly higher serum concentration of the regulatory protein factor H in asthmatic patients. In vitro generation of C3a in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid could not be achieved, although the presence of alternative pathway proteins C3, B and D was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, FRG.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz-Schumann
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rother
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirschfink
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000706:Anaphylatoxins / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001985:Bronchial Provocation Tests; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D015926:Complement C3a / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000706:Anaphylatoxins; D004391:Dust; D015926:Complement C3a