Complement Levels in Relation to Certain Antibodies in Polytransfused Thalassaemic Patients

Abstract

Polytransfused patients are exposed to a variety of antigenic stimuli which may eventually trigger autoimmune reactions. The relation of serum complement to the occurrence of various antibodies has been investigated in a group of 75 polytransfused thalassaemic patients. The incidence of the antibodies studied was as follows: anti-HBs 77%, anti-Gm 64%, rheumatoid factor 31%, antinuclear 13%, anti-smooth muscle 47%. Anti-parietal cell, anti-thyroid and anti-kidney were only rarely found and antimitochondrial antibodies were never detected. Total hemolytic complement was low in 6 and incidentally decreased in 21 patients. A positive correlation was found between low serum complement and presence of rheumatoid factor. The high incidence of anti-smooth muscle antibodies seems to be unrelated to liver disease.

Immunologic Evaluation of Children with Homozygous Beta-Thalassemia Treated with Desferrioxamine

“…In some patients, a deficiency in the hemolytic activity of the classical [37] or the alternative complement pathway [2] was detected; in contrast, our patients had normal C3 and C4 levels as well as an intact comple ment activity.…”