Study on C3-like factor in the serum of a C3-deficient subject.

Analysis of the serum of an individual having a deficiency of C3 (C3D) revealed that despite the fact that the C3 could not be detected immunochemically, a small amount of C3 haemolytic activity and total complement activity was indeed found to be present. The present study was performed to analyse the C3-like factor, responsible for this C3 activity in C3D serum. It was found that the C3-like factor was not neutralized by anti-C3 but was neutralized by anti-C5. The electrophoretic mobility of the C3-like factor corresponded to that of purified C5. Thus, C3-like factor was shown to have the antigenicity and electrophoretic mobility of C5. This factor was found in the sera of three other C3D subjects and even in pooled normal human serum (NHS). These findings suggest that, in cases of C3D, C5 compensates for the genetic lack of C3 and serves a protective function and that sensitized erythrocytes (EA) may be lysed by complement components without participation of C3.