Abstract
Summary
A study was performed of the effects of alkali metal cations on the degree of complement (C)-mediated lysis of red blood cells from patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) as well as of artifically prepared, PNH-like red cells. When rabbit antiserum and human C were used, the alkali metal cations enhanced immune lysis of normal and PNH red cells as follows: K ≥ Rb > Li > Cs ≥ Na. In the acidified serum reaction of PNH and PNH-like cells, however, enhancement of lysis occurred with K, Rb, and Cs, but not with Li, as compared to the degree of lysis in Na. The latter pattern of cationic effect was identical with that obtained upon the final stage of immune lysis of normal human red cells by antibody and C.
The results indicate that the influence of the alkali metal cations on the final stage of immune lysis after activation of the classical C pathway is similar to that on the sequence of reactions which forms the alternate pathway. A different pattern of influence of the cations was observed in situations of predominance of the complete reaction sequence which constitutes the classical pathway of C activation.
We gratefully acknowledge the provision of the PNH blood samples that were employed in this study by Dr. Beatriz Iparraguirre de Weinstein, from the Instituto Municipal de Hematologia, Hospital Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires.
This work was supported in part by a research grant from the Veterans Administration.
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