title: Hypocomplementemia and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Clinical correlates and relationships to circulating immune complex and immunoglobulin G levels.
abstract: The levels of C4 and C3 were measured and related to other immunological and clinical parameters in 44 patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Circulating immune complexes (C1q-CIC) as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay employing monoclonal antibody with specificity for bound Clq, and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations were assessed simultaneously. Clinical parameters assessed included: (1) the presence of specific anti-infective medications; (2) the presence of hypotension and fluid administration, and (3) bacterial and specific opportunistic infections. Hypocomplementemia was observed in 25 of 46 sera for C3, and in 8 of 46 sera for C4. Clq-CIC increases were seen in 26 of 46 sera and hyper-IgG was present in 25 of 46 sera. Lower C3 concentrations were significantly associated with elevated Clq-CIC levels (p less than 0.001). There were significant correlations between Clq-CIC levels and C3 concentrations (p = 0.0065, negative) and IgG levels (p = 0.0075, positive). Clq-CIC were significantly higher with serum p-24 antigen levels of 50 pg/ml or greater. These data demonstrate that elevated Clq-CIC and hypocomplementemia are both common in HIV-infected patients and may have significant relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital, NYMC, New York.
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wildfeuer
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Candido
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood*; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000097:blood; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000097:blood; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003176:Complement C3; D003181:Complement C4; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D003165:Complement System Proteins