Abstract
The activation of complement components during the complement cascade, plays an important role in self defense and pathophysiology following anaphylaxisis, infection and massive tissue damage. Two anaphylatoxins are derived from complement 3 and 5 of the cascade and are called C3a and C5a, respectively.
In the present investigation we measured plasma C3a and C5a in patients with various lung diseases and rabbits with endotoxin shock by the radioimmunoassay method.
1) Mean values and standard deviation (SD) of plasma C3a in healthy volunteers were 86.6±38.1ng/ml.
2) Mean values and SD in patients with primary lung cancer, hypoxemia induced by nonrespiratory diseases, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis and interstitial pneumonia were 426.0±469.5, 421.0±283.3, 130.6±66.3, 181.3±49.7 and 340.0±367.7ng/ml, respectively.
3) Mean values and SD of plasma C5a in healthy volunteers, patients with lung cancer, hypoxemia, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis and interstitial pneumonia were 4.2±0.6, 35.6±45.0, 10.4±11.3, 9.7±5.0, 8.5±4.4 and 12.2±0.3ng/ml, respectively.
4) Plasma C3a level in rabbits showed a marked increase after the intravenous administration of 3.3 mg/kg of endotoxin, but almost no change following i. v. administration of 3.3mg/kg of endotoxin.
5) Plasma C5a level in rabbits showed a marked increase after the i. v. administration of 3.3mg/kg of endotoxin, but almost no change by i. v. administration of 1mg/kg of endotoxin.
