Antibody complement-mediated hemolytic studies with kodecytes reveal that human complement utilized in the classical pathway is more stable than generally accepted
Perry, H.; Bovin, N.; Henry, S.
Transfusion 56(10): 2495-2501
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-1132 PMID: 27383738 DOI: 10.1111/trf.13719
Accession: 057210453
Complement has significant status in the field of transfusion medicine. The accepted stability profile of complement is based on historical studies of diluted human serum hemolyzing rabbit heterophile antibody-sensitized sheep red blood cells (RBCs). Contemporary tools are available to reevaluate these historical observations using human heterophile antibodies, undiluted serum, and antigen-modified human RBCs. Human RBCs were made into "animal-like" kodecytes with heterophile Galα3Galβ4GlcNAcβ function-spacer-lipid constructs. These α-Gal-kodecytes were prepared with an antigen dilution capable of consistently producing 50% antibody-mediated hemolysis against human α1-3galactose heterophile antibodies and undiluted standardized serum. Standardized human serum aliquots from a two-donor pool stored at -85, -20, 4, 22, and 37°C for durations of up to 150 days were evaluated for loss of hemolytic activity. Where practical methodologic procedures were aligned with historical studies. Comparison of the historical assay with the α-Gal-kodecyte assay against complement activity standards showed concordance. However, in most scenarios complement was found to be more than twice as stable as generally accepted. At least 60% of complement hemolytic activity was observed in serum stored at 22°C for 1 week or 2 months at 4°C. No loss of hemolytic activity was observed after 5 months' storage at temperatures below -20°C. An alternative method using undiluted serum and modified human RBCs observed that classical-pathway complement hemolytic activity in stored human serum is at least twice as stable as previously accepted.