The interaction of Hageman factor and immune complexes.

The possible interaction of Hageman factor from human or rabbit plasma with a variety of immunologic reactants was studied. Evidence of an interaction was not obtained and neither binding of radiolabeled Hageman factor to immune aggregates nor depletion of the Hageman factor from the supernate was observed. Cleavage of the labeled Hageman factor molecule into its 30,000 molecular weight-active fragments was not detectable after incubation with immune complexes. Isolated Hageman factor was far more sensitive to activation than Hageman factor in plasma or serum. There was no consistent activation of isolated Hageman factor by immunologic reactants as determined by conversion of prekallikrein to its enzymatic form or by shortening of the clotting time of factor XII-deficient plasma. A variety of immunologic stimuli were tested: (a) antigen-antibody complexes in soluble or precipitated form; (b) particulate antigen-antibody complexes, i.e., zymosan-anti-zymosan in which a surface was presented for activation; (c) human IgM-IgG and IgG-IgG (rheumatoid factor) complexes; (d) immune aggregates consisting of heat or bis-diazotized benzidine-aggregated myeloma proteins of all human immunoglobulin classes and subclasses: IgG(1,2,3,4), IgA, IgD, IgM, and IgE. Absorption with immune aggregates did not reduce the quantity of Hageman factor in solution, nor was the Hageman factor bound to the precipitates. The presence of plasma or serum with immune aggregates did not generate activity of the Hageman factor. The only preparations of immunoglobulins capable of activating Hageman factor were found to be contaminated with bacteria. These bacteria, upon isolation, activated Hageman factor.