The major histocompatibility complex(MHC)-linked fourth component of complement (C4) shows a high degree of polymorphism in several animal species. In man C4 polymorphism was detected by distinct charge differences of the variants. O'Neill et al. showed that this C4 polymorphism was controlled by two closely linked genetic loci, F (C4A) and S (C4B) and these results were extended by Awdeh et al. with an improved typing method. Biochemical analysis of human C4 has revealed that it consists of three polypeptide chains, alpha, beta and gamma. In all reports so far on the molecular analysis of human C4, no molecular weight differences between the A and B locus-encoded molecules have been noticed. Here we demonstrate that the C4A and C4B locus-encoded alpha-chains have a molecular weight (MW) of 96,000 and 94,000, respectively, presenting for the first time a molecular basis for the difference between all C4A and C4B variants tested. Even rare variants that are difficult to allocate to the A or B locus on the basis of charge differences could be identified as C4A or C4B variants in this way, thereby providing new insights into the relationships between the C4A and C4B loci.

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Applying a combined technology for the detection of allotypic variation of the fourth component of human complement (C4), including immunofixation with anti-C4 and C4-dependent lysis after agarose electrophoresis, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of C4 to separate the C4A and B alpha-chains, and the determination of Rodgers (Rg) and Chido (Ch) determinants of C4 in serum and at the blotted C4 alpha-chains, we detected rare human C4 allotypes and studied the genetic linkage. Partial inhibitors (p.i.) of anti-Rg and anti-Ch sera were found; the C4A51 allotype characterized as Rg p.i. and the C4A1 and C4B51 allotypes as Ch p.i. were genetically inherited. The C4A1 allotype has a unique Rg- Ch+ C4A alpha-chain. Duplicated C4A loci, A*3, A*2, and A*5, A*2 were both associated with a C4BQO and the HLA haplotype A3-Cw4-Bw35-DR1. These additions to the already known extensive C4 polymorphism may help to sort out their significance for the biological functions of human C4.

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One hundred and ninety-six unrelated healthy individuals and 30 families with 75 offspring have been studied for the C81(alpha-gamma) polymorphism. The following allele frequencies were calculated: C81*A = 0.5536; C81*B = 0.4286; C81*A1 = 0.0178. Observed and expected phenotype frequencies were in a good agreement according to the Hardy Weinberg law. No exceptions from the mode of inheritance were found. In family W the segregation of the rare allele C81*A1 could be followed. Comparing the results of this study with previous data from Boston and Oslo, a combined technology including C8-dependent lysis and C8 structural variation is suggested for future investigations.