Clinical significance of longitudinal complement measurements in recipients of bone marrow transplant

Bone Marrow Transplant. 1995 Apr;15(4):509-14.

Abstract

Overall activity of classical complement pathway, C3 and C4 levels, level of circulating immune complexes and concentration of serum immunoglobulins were measured in 38 patients transplanted with HLA-identical bone marrow before and after transplantation for at least 4 years. Changes of complement parameters and their association with acute and chronic GVHD and with infections were analysed. A strong association was found between the development of chronic GVHD and hypercomplementaemia measured in 16 long-term survivors. Low pre-transplantation C4 activity was found to predict the development of severe acute GVHD. These findings indicate that longitudinal complement measurements may have clinical value in BMT patients.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antigen-Antibody Complex / blood*
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation / immunology*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chronic Disease
  • Complement C3 / metabolism*
  • Complement C4 / metabolism*
  • Complement Pathway, Classical / immunology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease / immunology*
  • Hematologic Diseases / immunology
  • Hematologic Diseases / therapy
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulins / blood*
  • Infections / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • Antigen-Antibody Complex
  • Biomarkers
  • Complement C3
  • Complement C4
  • Immunoglobulins