Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1978 Oct;34(1):10–18.

Activation of the alternative pathway of complement by Entamoeba histolytica.

L Ortiz-Ortiz, R Capin, N R Capin, B Sepúlveda, G Zamacona
PMCID: PMC1537474  PMID: 219975

Abstract

A cytopathogenic effect was observed when Entamoeba histolytica was exposed to human sera from individuals with no clinical history or laboratory evidence of amoebiasis. Absorption studies showed that the effect was not due to natural antibodies. Studies performed using ethylenediamine tetracetic acid (EDTA), cobra venom factor (CoF) and heat-inactivation at 56 degrees C, indicated that the cytopathogenic effect was complement dependent. Furthermore, by using ethylene glycol tetracetic acid (EGTA) and Mg++, zymosan, heat-inactivation at 50 degrees C to destroy the activity of factor B of the alternative pathway, as well as electrophoretic studies with anti-human factor B, it was possible to determine that E. histolytica activated the properdin pathway. Finally, complement determinations indicated that incubation of E. histolytica with normal human serum consumed complement. The diminution in CH50 correlated with a consumption of C3 but not of C1, C4 and C2. It was concluded from these results that trophozoites of E. histolytica activate the alternative pathway of the human complement system.

Full text

PDF
10

Images in this article

15FIG. 3
on p.15

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Arroyave C. M., Bhat K. N., Crown R. Activation of the alternative pathway of the complement system by radiographic contrast media. J Immunol. 1976 Nov;117(5 PT2):1866–1869. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BLUM L., PILLEMER L., LEPOW I. H. The properdin system and immunity. XI. Studies on the interaction of zymosan with the properdin system. Z Immun exp ther. 1959 Oct-Nov;118:313–328. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Borsos T., Rapp H. J. Immune hemolysis: a simplified method for the preparation of EAC'4 with guinea pig or with human complement. J Immunol. 1967 Aug;99(2):263–268. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Budzko D. B., Pizzimenti M. C., Kierszenbaum F. Effects of complement depletion in experimental chagas disease: immune lysis of virulent blood forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. Infect Immun. 1975 Jan;11(1):86–91. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.1.86-91.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Capin M. R., Jiménez M., Zamacona G., Ortíz-Ortíz L. Determinación de complemento y vía alterna del complemento en pacientes con absceso hepático amibiano. Arch Invest Med (Mex) 1978;9 (Suppl 1):297–302. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cunniff R. V., Stollar B. D. Properties of 19 S antibodies in complement fixation. I. Temperature dependence and role of antigen structure. J Immunol. 1968 Jan;100(1):7–14. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Diamond L. S., Phillips B. P., Bartgis I. L. A comparison of the virulence of nine strains of axenically cultivated E. histolytica in hamster liver. Arch Invest Med (Mex) 1974;5(Suppl 2):423–426. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Diamond L. S. Techniques of axenic cultivation of Entamoeba histolytica Schaudinn, 1903 and E. histolytica-like amebae. J Parasitol. 1968 Oct;54(5):1047–1056. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Elsdon-Dew R. The epidemiology of amoebiasis. Adv Parasitol. 1968;6:1–62. doi: 10.1016/s0065-308x(08)60471-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kierszenbaum F., Ivanyi J., Budzko D. B. Mechanisms of natural resistance to trypanosomal infection. Role of complement in avian resistance to Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Immunology. 1976 Jan;30(1):1–6. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mattern C. F., Keister D. B. Experimental amebiasis. II. Hepatic amebiasis in the newborn hamster. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1977 May;26(3):402–411. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Morrison D. C., Kline L. F. Activation of the classical and properdin pathways of complement by bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS). J Immunol. 1977 Jan;118(1):362–368. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nogueira N., Bianco C., Cohn Z. Studies on the selective lysis and purification of Trypanosoma cruzi. J Exp Med. 1975 Jul 1;142(1):224–229. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.1.224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ortiz-Ortiz L., Sepúlveda B., Chévez A. Nuevos estudios acerca de la acción de sueros humanos normales e immunes sobre el trofozoíto de E. histolytica. Arch Invest Med (Mex) 1974;5(Suppl 2):337–342. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. PILLEMER L., BLUM L., LEPOW I. H., ROSS O. A., TODD E. W., WARDLAW A. C. The properdin system and immunity. I. Demonstration and isolation of a new serum protein, properdin, and its role in immune phenomena. Science. 1954 Aug 20;120(3112):279–285. doi: 10.1126/science.120.3112.279. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. PILLEMER L., BLUM L., LEPOW I. H., WURZ L., TODD E. W. The properdin system and immunity. III. The zymosan assay of properdin. J Exp Med. 1956 Jan 1;103(1):1–13. doi: 10.1084/jem.103.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. SCHEIDEGGER J. J. Une micro-méthode de l'immuno-electrophorèse. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol. 1955;7(2):103–110. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sepúlveda B., Ortiz-Ortiz L., Chévez A., Segura M. Comprobación de la naturaleza immunológica del efecto del suero y de la gammaglobulina immunes sobre el trofozoíto de E. histolytica. Arch Invest Med (Mex) 1974;5(Suppl 2):343–346. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Snyderman R., Pike M. C. Interaction of complex polysaccharides with the complement system: effect of calcium depletion on terminal component consumption. Infect Immun. 1975 Feb;11(2):273–279. doi: 10.1128/iai.11.2.273-279.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Theofilopoulos A. N., Perrin L. H. Binding of components of the properdin system to cultured human lymphoblastoid cells and B lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1976 Feb 1;143(2):271–289. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.2.271. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES