Inhibition of immune haemolysis by a serum factor found in C3-deficient subjects.

A serum factor, which inhibits haemolysis of the buffer control used in a C3 haemolytic assay, was found in a C3-deficient subject (C3D). Since the buffer control consisted of EAC142, C5 and C6-9 reagent (C6-9R, prepared by treatment of guinea-pig serum with KSCN and hydrazine hydrate), the factor seems to be an inhibitor of C3-independent immune haemolysis. Gel filtration and CM cellulose column chromatography of C3D serum suggested that the inhibitor may be C8. The inhibition was not observed in C8-depleted C3D serum. Furthermore, isolated C8 was found to inhibit haemolysis of EAC142 by C5 and C6-9R in a dose-dependent fashion. Thus, C8 was found to be an inhibitor of C3-independent immune haemolysis in the assay. Further studies revealed that C8 also inhibits haemolysis of EAC142 by C3, C5 and C6-9R (C3 assay system) or that of EAC1423 by C5 and C6-9R (C5 assay system), indicating that C3 or C5 haemolytic activity can be underestimated by the presence of C8 in a sample. C8 did not inhibit haemolysis in the assay system when isolated C6-C9 of human origin were used, but did inhibit haemolysis when isolated C6-C9 of guinea-pig origin was used instead of C6-9R. Thus, it was suggested that the incompatibility of human C8 with guinea-pig C6-C9 might be responsible for this phenomenon. Additional experiments for the mechanism clearly showed that human C8 inhibits the haemolysis of EAC1-7 (EA bearing human C1-C5 and guinea-pig C6 and C7) by guinea-pig C8 and C9 by binding to EAC1-7 prior to guinea-pig C8.