Irma Gigli

The Complement System of Man

Acquired Abnormalities Alterations in the complement system associated with human disease have been appreciated since early in this century,152 but only within recent years have measurements of ser...

Enhancement of random migration and chemotactic response of human leukocytes by ascorbic acid.

Incubation of human leukocytes with ascorbic acid at neutral pH and at concentrations 10-50 times that of normal blood levels augmented both the in vitro random migration and chemotaxis of the cells by 100-300% without influencing their phagocytic capacity. Enhancement of mobility by ascorbate was evident for isolated neutrophils, eosinophils, and mono-nuclear leukocytes and was independent of the specific chemotactic stimulus. Stimulation by ascorbate of the hexose monophosphate shunt of adherent neutrophils and augmentation by ascorbate of neutrophil mobility had comparable dose-response relationships, could be reversed by washing the cells, and were both suppressed by preincubation of the neutrophils with 6-aminonicotinamide, but not with the neutrophil-immobilizing factor. Glutathione, the proposed intermediate for ascorbate action, similarly stimulated hexose monophosphate shunt activity and enhanced migration. The enhancement in vitro of leukocyte mobility by ascorbate at concentrations found in some normal tissues, therefore, appears to be dependent upon stimulation of the leukocyte hexose monophosphate shunt.

Generation of Chemotactic Activity in Serum from Patients with Erythropoietic Protoporphyria and Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

THE porphyrias are a group of diseases characterized clinically by photosensitivity and biochemically by elevated levels of porphyrins in erythrocytes, plasma, urine, or feces.1 , 2 Within minutes ...

Participation of an early component of complement and Hageman factor in C3 destruction by zymosan

Abstract The contributions of the early components of complement and the clotting system to zymosan-serum interaction were examined with sera deficient in certain proteins of these systems. Incubation with zymosan of minimally diluted C2-deficient serum, Hageman factor-deficient serum, or serum of a sex-linked agammaglobulinemic patient resulted in minimal C3 destruction. Reconstitution of the serum with either C2 or Hageman factor fragments, respectively, yielded destruction of C3 comparable to that obtained with normal serum. Analysis of the zymosan particles after incubation with the sera indicated that C 1 was present as assessed by transfer and the generation of the classical convertase with C4 and C2. In addition, an activity capable of partially correcting the coagulation defect of Hageman factor-deficient plasma but not plasma thromboplastin antecedent-deficient plasma was present. C 1 was absent from complexes formed in agammaglobulinemic serum and Hageman factor from complexes formed in Hageman factor-deficient serum. A pH 7.0, 0.6 M NaCl eluate of the complexes revealed that normal eluates possessed antigenically detectable properdin, factor B, C3, and IgG, while eluates from complexes formed in deficient sera possessed only IgG.

Urticaria and Angioedema

Although mediation by immunologic mechanisms has been established in some instances of urticaria and angioedema, most cases remain idiopathic. Immunologic or not, these conditions may herald a life-threatening event.

Eczematous and immunologic diseases

Eczematous and immunologically mediated skin diseases continue to be among the most common diseases. The physical and economic impact on our society is great and, at times, can be devastating. Considerable progress has been made in approach to these eczematous and immunologically mediated skin diseases in the past 6 years by the enormous increase of knowledge of immunologic mechanisms, both in basic and in clinically related research. Some of these advances have been derived almost directly from new technical approaches in areas such as molecular biology, cloning, and monoclonal antibody production. These technics are now in use in clinical dermatology, both diagnostically and therapeutically.