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. 1970 Oct 31;132(5):898–915. doi: 10.1084/jem.132.5.898

LYSIS OF ERYTHROCYTES BY COMPLEMENT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANTIBODY

Otto Götze 1, Hans J Müller-Eberhard 1
PMCID: PMC2138874  PMID: 5470509

Abstract

A new pathway of complement-mediated hemolysis has been described. It is independent of antibody and does not require binding of the first four complement components to the target-cell surface. The actual attack of the target cell begins with the attachment of C5, C6, and C7. The binding reaction is catalyzed by C4, 2, 3, an enzyme which may be formed in cell-free solution. C4, 2, 3 may effect binding of C5, 6, 7 by acting from the fluid phase or from the surface of another cell to which it is specifically bound (EAC 4, 2, 3). In either case, the resulting product is EC5, 6, 7 which is susceptible to lysis by C8 and C9. Erythrocytes from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) were particularly susceptible to lysis by the above described mechanism. PNH cells, but not normal human erythrocytes, could also be lysed through activation of complement by cobra factor. These observations allow the operational distinction of an activation and an attack mechanism of complement.

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Selected References

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

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