Levels of the terminal complement complex, C3a-desArg and C1-inhibitor in adult patients with capillary leak syndrome following bone marrow transplantation

• Published in: Annals of hematology Vol. 71; no. 6; p. 271
• Main Authors: Salat, C, Holler, E, Schleuning, M, Eisele, B, Reinhardt, B, Kolb, H, Pihusch, R, Domrath, R, Hiller, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.12.1995
• Subjects: Adult; Bone Marrow Transplantation - adverse effects; Capillary Permeability; Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins - analysis; Complement C3a - analysis; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Syndrome
• ISSN: 0939-5555
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01697978

Capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a severe complication after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). To investigate whether there is a pathogenetic role of the complement system, we monitored the levels of the terminal complement complex C5b-9 (TCC) and C3a-desArg as indicators of an activation of the complement system and the inhibitor of the classical pathway of the complement cascade, C1 inhibitor (C1-INH), in 48 bone marrow transplant recipients from 1 week before to 5 weeks after transplantation. Capillary leak syndrome developed in 7 out of 48 patients between days 1 and 12 after BMT. Complement activation as indicated by TCC levels was more pronounced in patients with CLS (n = 7) from day -8 to +28 (p < 0.05; day -1) and the elevation of TCC levels lasted longer in CLS patients (peak day 21) than in patients without this complication (peak day 7). Mean C3a-desArg levels were highest in patients with CLS reaching a peak at day 7. During the early posttransplant period a significant elevation of C1-INH levels (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05 respectively) compared with baseline levels (day -8) was found in patients with and without CLS, which was more pronounced in those patients with CLS (p < 0.05). Although we could not observe an absolute C1-INH deficiency as compared to healthy individuals our data support the presence of a relative deficiency of the inhibitor which might explain the reported beneficial effects of C1-INH substitution in BMT related CLS.