title: The complement system in HIV disease.
abstract: Different aspects of the relationship between the HIV infection and the complement system were studied. 1. No significant differences were found between seronegative controls, asymptomatic, and symptomatic (ARC, AIDS) HIV-seropositive patients in the plasma levels of complement components C4, Bf, and C3. 2. Using sensitive ELISA assays, a significant increase was observed in the levels of protein-protein complexes which are formed at the activation of the classical (C1r-C1s-C1-INH) and alternative (C3b-Bb-P) pathways, indicating that both complement pathways are activated in the HIV disease. No significant differences were found, however, in the levels of these complexes between the groups of asymptomatic and symptomatic HIV-infected patients. 3. Artificial immune complexes of synthetic peptides representing some immunodominant epitopes of HIV envelope (gp120, and gp41) proteins, and human polyclonal anti-HIV IgG were found to weakly activate both the classical and alternative complement pathways. 4. An elevated percentage of the lymphocytes carrying a complement activation fragment, C3d, was detected in the blood of HIV seropositive patients as compared to the seronegative controls. No significant positive correlation was found between the percentage of these cells and that of any T cell subsets tested.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Füst
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ujhelyi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hidvégi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pálóczi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mihalik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hollán
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirschfink
mesh_terms: D003167:Complement Activation; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000032:analysis; D011415:Complement Factor B / Q000032:analysis; D003170:Complement Pathway, Alternative; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D011415:Complement Factor B