The potentiation of human C1-inhibitor by dextran sulphate is transient in vivo: studies in a rat model.

C1-inhibitor (C1-Inh) is an important regulator of inflammatory reactions because it is a potent inhibitor of the contact and complement system. C1-Inh application in inflammatory disease is, however, restricted because of the high doses required. The glycosaminoglycan-like molecule dextran sulphate (DXS) enhances C1-Inh function in vitro. Hence, we investigated whether co-administration with dextran sulphate reduces the amount of C1-Inh required, through enhancement in vivo. C1-Inh potentiation was measured in a newly developed C1s-inactivation assay that is based on activation of C4 by purified C1s. Activated C4 in rat plasma was quantified with a newly developed ELISA. Human C1-Inh (2.5 microM) inhibited C1s in rat plasma 55-fold faster in the presence of dextran sulphate (15 kDa, 5 microM). To study the stability of the complex in vivo, rats were given a mixture of C1-Inh (10 mg/kg) and dextran sulphate (3 mg/kg). C1-Inh activity during 5 h was analyzed ex vivo with the C1s inactivation assay. The noncovalent C1-Inh-dextran sulphate complex resulted in a transient enhancement of the inhibitory capacity of C1-Inh, lasting for 60-90 min. Dextran sulphate did not affect plasma clearance of C1-Inh. We conclude that the enhanced inhibitory capacity of C1-Inh complexed to dextran sulphate is transient in vivo. Hence, co-administration of these compounds seems a feasible approach to achieve short-term inhibition of complement in vivo.

Intravenous immunoglobulin preparations induce mild activation of neutrophils in vivo via triggering of macrophages--studies in a rat model.

Despite widespread use in various immune disorders, the in vivo mechanisms of action of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) preparations are not well known. We previously reported that human neutrophils degranulate after incubation with IVIG in vitro as a result of interaction with FcgammaRII. The purpose of this study was to determine whether IVIG might stimulate neutrophils in vivo. Anaesthetized rats received a bolus intravenous injection of IVIG preparations, containing either high (aged IVIG) or low (fresh IVIG) amounts or IgG dimers at a dose of 250 mg/kg. Administration of aged IVIG induced neutrophil activation in vivo, whereas no effect was observed after infusion of fresh IVIG. Histological examination of lung tissue demonstrated mild influx of neutrophils into the pulmonary tissue after aged IVIG administration, though gross damage did not occur. Macrophage-depleted rats no longer showed activation of neutrophils after infusion of aged IVIG, suggesting that neutrophils become activated via an indirect macrophage dependent way. We conclude that IVIG induces a mild activation of neutrophils in vivo via triggering of macrophages depending on the amount of IgG dimers. For this reason, IVIG preparations with a high content of dimers may not always be as harmless as generally believed and may be responsible for some of the side-effects observed during IVIG infusions.

Vasoactive side effects of intravenous immunoglobulin preparations in a rat model and their treatment with recombinant platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase.

Previously, we observed in a rat model that intravenous administration of intramuscular immunoglobulin preparations induced a long-lasting hypotension, which appeared to be associated with the presence of IgG polymers and dimers in the preparations, but unrelated to complement activation. We found evidence that this hypotensive response is mediated by platelet-activating factor (PAF) produced by macrophages. In this study, we compared the vasoactive effects of 16 intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) products from 10 different manufacturers, in anesthetized rats. Eight of the IVIG preparations showed no hypotensive effects (less than 15% decrease), whereas the other 8 had relatively strong effects (15%-50% decrease). The hypotensive effects correlated with the IgG dimer content of the preparations. Pretreatment of the rats with recombinant PAF acetylhydrolase completely prevented the hypotensive reaction on IVIG infusion, and administration after the onset of hypotension resulted in normalization of the blood pressure. We also observed PAF production on in vitro incubation of human neutrophils with IVIG, which could be blocked by anti-Fcgamma receptor antibodies. This indicates that induction of PAF generation may also occur in a human system. Our findings support the hypothesis that the clinical side effects of IVIG in patients may be caused by macrophage and neutrophil activation through interaction of IgG dimers with Fcgamma receptors. Because phagocyte activation may also lead to the release of other inflammatory mediators, recombinant PAF acetylhydrolase (rPAF-AH) provides a useful tool to determine whether PAF plays a role in the clinical side effects of IVIG. If so, rPAF-AH can be used for the treatment of those adverse reactions. (Blood. 2000;95:1856-1861)

Evaluation of the immunogenicity of polymerized hemoglobin solutions in a rabbit model.

Chemical modification of proteins carries the risk that neo-antigens are introduced. To investigate the potential immunogenicity of human glutaraldehyde-polymerized hemoglobin (polyHbX1), we analyzed the antibody responses of rabbits after hyperimmunization with complete Freund's adjuvant. In view of the species difference, we also tested rabbit hemoglobin that was modified in the same way as human polyHbX1. Thereafter, we studied the antibody response after weekly intravenous infusion of clinically relevant doses of polyHbX1 to evaluate whether an immune response is likely to occur when modified hemoglobin is used as blood substitute. The occurrence of an antibody response was tested by using an enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). To find out whether antibodies were directed against neo-epitopes on human polyHbX1 we used a competitive ELISA. The results showed that polymerized hemoglobin may weakly activate the immune system in special conditions, but is unlikely to do so when it is used as blood substitute.