Figure 1.
Production of the C3 cleavage product iC3b in response to A2E photooxidation. The effect of depletion of complement components factor B and C1q. (A) Levels of iC3b are reduced when factor B is depleted. iC3b levels in NHS or factor B-depleted serum overlying RPE cells that had or had not accumulated A2E and were irradiated or not irradiated to generate A2E photooxidation products. (B) iC3b content is elevated in C1q-depleted serum placed in contact with RPE cells that had accumulated A2E and were irradiated (A2E 430 nm) to generate A2E photooxidation products. iC3b was measured by enzyme immunoassay. A suspension of zymosan in serum served as positive control. Values measured in normal and depleted serum incubated in otherwise empty wells were subtracted as background. Mean ± SEM; three or four experiments, duplicate wells per experiment.+, presence of condition.