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  • Title: The role of C9 in complement-mediated killing of Neisseria.
    Author: Harriman GR, Esser AF, Podack ER, Wunderlich AC, Braude AI, Lint TF, Curd JG.
    Journal: J Immunol; 1981 Dec; 127(6):2386-90. PubMed ID: 6795273.
    Abstract:
    During the routine examination of a healthy 31-yr-old woman, we found an incomplete deficiency of the 9th component of complement (C9). By hemolytic assay her serum C9 activity was 10 to 15% of normal. Limited family studies suggested that she inherited the deficiency as an autosomal codominant trait. She had no history of unusual or severe infections. When tested for bactericidal activity against serum-sensitive Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis, her serum reacted comparably to normal serum. Normal serum depleted immunochemically of C9 and sera from congenitally C9-deficient patients were also bactericidal against serum-sensitive Neisseria but required 120 min to kill the same numbers of gonococci that intact serum killed within 30 min. In the electron microscope, N. gonorrhoeae incubated with C9-depleted serum were fragmented but lacked the typical C lesions. Therefore, serum lacking C9 can kill serum-sensitive Neisseria, unlike sera deficient in the other terminal C components.
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