title: Classical and alternative pathway haemolytic activities of ovine complement: variations with age and sex.
abstract: The classical (CH50) and alternative (ACH50) pathway haemolytic activities of sheep complement were measured with microtechniques. Storage of blood at room temperature (instead of 4 degrees C) before centrifugation and usage of sera stored at -70 degrees C were compatible with complement titration. The effects of age and sex were tested in 303 sera obtained from animals aged between 2 weeks and 3.5 years old. ACH50 titres were low during the first 1.5 months of life then increased to reach the level found in adults at the age of 3 months. Conversely, CH50 titres were very high in suckling lambs, decreased up until the age of 3 months and then increased to reach the adult level at 1 year old. In lambs, the haemolytic complement activity was significantly higher in females than in males.
authors.affiliation: INRA, Unité de Pathologie Ovine, Station de Pathologie de la Reproduction, Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lantier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bourgy
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D015941:Complement Hemolytic Activity Assay; D003170:Complement Pathway, Alternative / Q000276:immunology*; D003171:Complement Pathway, Classical / Q000276:immunology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic