When activated on or in the vicinity of cells, complement usually causes loss of function and sometimes cell death. Yet the liver, which produces large amounts of complement proteins, clears activators of complement and activated complexes from portal blood without obvious injury or impaired function. We asked whether and to what extent hepatocytes resist injury and loss of function mediated by...

Despite the potent immunosuppressive activity that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display in vitro, recent clinical trial results are disappointing, suggesting that MSC viability and/or function are greatly reduced after infusion. In this report, we demonstrated that human MSCs activated complement of the innate immunity after their contact with serum. Although all 3 known intrinsic cell-surface...

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) and complement receptor 1-related gene/protein y (Crry) are two membrane-bound complement regulators on murine erythrocytes that inhibit C3/C5 convertases. Previously, we found that Crry- but not DAF-deficient erythrocytes were susceptible to alternative pathway complement-mediated elimination in vivo. To determine whether it is a unique activity or a higher leve...

OBJECTIVE To define techniques used for complement measurements and examine the clinical relevance of alterations of complement determinations in disease. DATA SOURCES Data have been assembled from the authors' research, original articles, and reviews, as well as chapters and complete books on complement. STUDY SELECTION Studies were chosen for inclusion by the opinions of the authors, rele...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the correlation between inflammatory measures and whole-body insulin sensitivity in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. METHODS For the present study, 40 nondiabetic PsA patients were recruited. A standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed. The insulin sensitivity index (ISI), insulinogenic index (IGI) and oral disposition index (ODI) were calculated from...

BACKGROUND In the present study we assessed the functional state of the major mediator of the immune response, the complement system, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS Thirty one PTSD patients within 13 years from traumatic event and the same number of sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were involved in this study. In the blood serum of the study subjects hemolytic activi...