Abstract
Soluble staphylococcal protein A (SpA) has been shown to activate the complement system and complement activation has been demonstrated in patient plasma after extracorporeal immunoadsorption through SpA columns. Studies were performed to determine whether complement activation in human plasma is caused by immobilized SpA and/or minute quantities of soluble SpA which may “leach” from immunoadsorbent columns into plasma. Examination of several clinical plasma samples, after immunoadsorption through SpA columns, revealed minute quantities of soluble SpA which “leached” from the immunoadsorbent matrix ranging in concentration from 0.23 to 0.70 μg/mL. Additional studies indicated that the SpA/silica matrix utilized in immunoadsorbent columns activated the complement system and generated anaphylatoxins C3a, C4a and C5a. Moreover, soluble SpA, at concentrations approximating levels detected due to “leaching”, did not generate anaphylatoxins; higher concentrations of soluble SpA were observed to activate the complement system. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), a potential contaminant of SpA preparations, did not activate the complement system. These results indicate that the complement activation observed in human plasma after extracorporeal immunoadsorption is due to the immobilized form of SpA rather than the minute quantities of SpA “leached” from the SpA/silica immunoadsorbent matrix.
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