Lysis of horse red blood cells mediated by antibody-independent activation of the alternative pathway of chicken complement.

Horse red blood cells (HRBC) were found to be lysed when incubated with fresh normal chicken serum (NCS). By comparison of the properties of the lysis of HRBC with those of the complement-dependent lysis of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) sensitized with haemolytic antibody via the classical pathway, the following differences were observed between the two haemolytic phenomena. (i) The lysis of HRBC was independent on antibody in contrast to the antibody dependence of the lysis of sensitized SRBC. (ii) The lysis of HRBC was dependent on Mg but not on Ca ion, whereas the lysis of sensitized SRBC required both Mg and Ca ions. (iii) Treatment of NCS with carrageenan that acts as an inactivator of the first component of complement (C1) inhibited the lysis of sensitized SRBC but not the lysis of HRBC. (iv) C1 was consumed in the lysis of sensitized SRBC but not in the lysis of HRBC. (v) Cobra venom factor (CVF), C3 inactivator via the alternative complement pathway, inhibited the lysis of HRBC but not the lysis of sensitized SRBC. (vi) Minimal reaction times for the lysis of HRBC and for the lysis of sensitized SRBC were 90 and 60 min, respectively. These findings indicate that the lysis of HRBC was caused by the antibody-independent activation of complement via the alternative pathway.