Consequences of dysregulated complement regulators on red blood cells

The complement system represents the first line of defense that is involved in the clearance of pathogens, dying cells and immune complexes via opsonization, induction of an inflammatory response and the formation of a lytic pore. Red blood cells (RBCs) are very important for the delivery of oxygen to tissues and are continuously in contact with complement proteins in the blood plasma. To prevent complement activation on RBCs, various complement regulatory proteins can be found in plasma and on the cell membrane. RBCs are special cells without a nucleus and having a slightly different make-up of complement regulators than nucleated cells, as membrane cofactor protein (MCP) is not expressed and complement receptor 1 (CR1) is highly expressed. Decreased expression and/or function of complement regulatory proteins may result in unwanted complement activation and accelerated removal of RBCs. This review describes complement regulation on RBCs and the consequences when this regulation is out of balanc

Complement Deposition and IgG Binding on Stored Red Blood Cells Are Independent of Storage Time

Background In the Netherlands, red blood cells (RBCs) are allowed to be stored up to 35 days at 2-6 °C in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM). During storage, RBCs undergo several changes that are collectively known as storage lesion. We investigated to what extent complement deposition and antibody binding occurred during RBC storage and investigated phagocytic uptake in vitro. Methods RBCs were stored for different lengths of time at 2-6 °C in SAGM. Complement deposition and antibody binding were assessed upon storage and after incubation with serum. M1- and M2-type macrophages were generated from blood monocytes to investigate RBC phagocytosis. Results No complement deposition was directly observed on stored RBCs, while incubation of RBCs with serum resulted in variable donor-dependent C3 deposition and IgG binding, both independent of storage time. Only 1-4% phagocytosis of stored RBCs by macrophages was observed. Conclusion RBCs are susceptible to complement deposition and antibody binding independent of storage time. Limited phagocytic uptake by macrophages was observed in vitro

CRISPR/Cas9 generated human CD46, CD55 and CD59 knockout cell lines as a tool for complement research

To prevent unwanted complement activation and subsequent damage, complement activation must be tightly regulated on healthy host cells. Dysregulation of the complement system contributes to the pathology of diseases like Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria and atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. To investigate complement regulator deficiencies, primary patient cells may be used, but access to patient cells may be limited and cells are heterogeneous between different patients. To inhibit regulator function on healthy host cells, blocking antibodies can be used, though it may be difficult to exclude antibody-mediated effects. To circumvent these issues, we created single and combined complement regulator human knockout cells to be able to in vitro investigate complement activation and regulation on human cells. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to knockout (KO) complement regulatory proteins CD46, CD55 and/or CD59 in human HAP1 cells. Single cell derived cell lines were profiled by Sanger sequencing and flow cytometry. To confirm the lack of complement regulatory function, the cells were exposed to complement in normal human serum and subsequently C3 and C4 deposition on the cell surface were detected by using flow cytometry. We created single KO cell lines that completely lacked CD46, CD55 or CD59. We additionally generated double CD46/CD55, CD46/CD59 and CD55/CD59 KOs and triple CD46/CD55/CD59 KOs. Upon classical pathway activation, deletion of CD46 resulted in increased C3 and C4 deposition, while deleting CD55 mainly resulted to increased C3 deposition, confirming their reported function in complement regulation. Upon alternative pathway activation, C3 deposition was only observed on the triple CD46/CD55/CD59 KO cells and not on any of the other cell lines, suggesting that human cells are resistant to spontaneous complement activation and suggesting a role for CD59 in C3 regulation. The generation of complement regulator KO cell lines provides a relevant tool for future in vitro investigations of complement activation and regulation on human cells. Furthermore, these cell lines may also be helpful to evaluate therapeutic complement inhibitors and may shed light on novel roles of complement regulatory proteins as we here observed for CD5