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Human anti-C1q autoantibodies bind specifically to solid-phase C1q and enhance phagocytosis but not complement activation.

ABSTRACT: Autoantibodies directed against complement component C1q are commonly associated with autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus. Importantly, these anti-C1q autoantibodies are specific for ligand-bound, solid-phase C1q and do not bind to fluid-phase C1q. In patients with anti-C1q, C1q levels are in the normal range, and the autoantibodies are thus not depleting. To study these human anti-C1q autoantibodies at the molecular level, we isolated C1q-reactive B cells and recombinantly produced nine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from four different healthy individuals. The isolated mAbs were of the IgG isotype, contained extensively mutated variable domains, and showed high affinity to the collagen-like region of C1q. The anti-C1q mAbs exclusively bound solid-phase C1q in complex with its natural ligands, including immobilized or antigen-bound IgG, IgM or CRP, and necrotic cells. Competition experiments reveal that at least 2 epitopes, also targeted by anti-C1q antibodies in sera from SLE patients, are recognized. Electron microscopy with hexameric IgG-C1q immune complexes demonstrated that multiple mAbs can interact with a single C1q molecule and identified the region of C1q targeted by these mAbs. The opsonization of immune complexes with anti-C1q greatly enhanced Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis but did not increase complement activation. We conclude that human anti-C1q autoantibodies specifically bind neo-epitopes on solid-phase C1q, which results in an increase in Fc-receptor-mediated effector functions that may potentially contribute to autoimmune disease immunopathology.

SUBMITTER: Dijkstra DJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10723154 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Human anti-C1q autoantibodies bind specifically to solid-phase C1q and enhance phagocytosis but not complement activation.

Dijkstra Douwe J DJ van de Bovenkamp Fleur S FS Abendstein Leoni L Zuijderduijn Rob R Pool Jos J Kramer Cynthia S M CSM Slot Linda M LM Drijfhout Jan W JW de Vor Lisanne L Gelderman Kyra A KA Rooijakkers Suzan H M SHM Zaldumbide Arnaud A Vidarsson Gestur G Sharp Thomas H TH Parren Paul W H I PWHI Trouw Leendert A LA

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20231204 50

Autoantibodies directed against complement component C1q are commonly associated with autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus. Importantly, these anti-C1q autoantibodies are specific for ligand-bound, solid-phase C1q and do not bind to fluid-phase C1q. In patients with anti-C1q, C1q levels are in the normal range, and the autoantibodies are thus not depleting. To study these human anti-C1q autoantibodies at the molecular level, we isolated C1q-reactive B cells and recombinan ...[more]

PMID: 38048459

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Project description:BackgroundThe ability of vaccine-induced antibodies to bind C1q could affect pathogen neutralization. In this study, we investigated C1q binding and subsequent complement activation by anti-spike (S) protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) specific antibodies produced following vaccination with either the mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 or the inactivated vaccine BBIBP-CorV.MethodsSerum samples were collected in the period of July 2021-March 2022. Participants' demographic data, type of vaccine, date of vaccination, as well as adverse effects of the vaccine were recorded. The serum samples were incubated with S protein RBD-coated plates. Levels of human IgG, IgA, IgM, C1q, and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) that were bound to the plate, as well as formed C3d, and C5b-9 were compared between different groups of participants.ResultsA total of 151 samples were collected from vaccinated (n = 116) and nonvaccinated (n = 35) participants. Participants who received either one or two doses of BNT162b2 formed higher levels of anti-RBD IgG and IgA than participants who received BBIBP-CorV. The anti-RBD IgG formed following either vaccine bound C1q, but significantly more C1q binding was observed in participants who received BNT162b2. Subsequently, C5b-9 formation was significantly higher in participants who received BNT162b2, while no significant difference in C5b-9 formation was found between the nonvaccinated and BBIBP-CorV groups. The formation of C5b-9 was strongly correlated to C1q binding and not to MBL binding, additionally, the ratio of formed C5b-9/bound C1q was significantly higher in the BNT162b2 group.ConclusionAnti-RBD IgG formed following vaccination can bind C1q with subsequent complement activation, and the degree of terminal complement pathway activation differed between vaccines, which could play a role in the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines. Further investigation into the correlation between vaccine protection and vaccine-induced antibodies' ability to activate complement is required.

Project description:C1q, the recognition molecule of the classical pathway of the complement system, plays a central role in pregnancy. Lack of C1q is characterized by poor trophoblast invasion and pregnancy failure. C1q can be the target of an antibody response: anti-C1q autoantibodies (anti-C1q) are present in several infectious and autoimmune diseases. The presence of these autoantibodies has been detected also in 2-8% of the general population. Recent evidence indicates that women who undergo assisted reproductive technology (ART) have an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia (PE), particularly oocyte donation (OD) pregnancies. The aim of this study was to characterize the levels of C1q and anti-C1q in PE gestations, in healthy spontaneous, homologous and heterologous ART pregnancies. Serum of the following four groups of women, who were followed throughout two or three trimesters, were collected: PE, patients diagnosed with PE; OD, oocyte donation recipients; HOM, homologous ART women; Sp, spontaneous physiological pregnancy. Our results indicate that PE patients have lower levels of anti-C1q. In ART pregnant women, the trend of C1q and anti-C1q levels were similar to PE patients, even though these women did not develop PE-like symptoms during pregnancy. This finding suggests an immunological dysfunction at the foetal-maternal interface in ART pregnancies, a hypothesis confirmed by the observation of C1q deposition in placentae derived from OD, comparable to PE. Since significantly lower levels of anti-C1q were detected in PE compared to healthy control sera, we hypothesize the possible binding on placental syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles (STBM), which are increased in the circulation of PE mothers. Furthermore, the characterization of the binding-epitope of anti-C1q revealed that "physiological" autoantibodies were mainly directed against C1q globular domain. We concluded that anti-C1q could have a physiological role in pregnancy: during the healthy spontaneous pregnancy the raised levels of these autoantibodies can be important for the clearance of STBM. In PE and in pathological pregnancies (but also in OD pregnancies), the increase in syncytiotrophoblast apoptosis and consequent increase of the circulating STMB levels lead to a consumption of C1q and anti-C1q.

Project description:Natural antibodies, which arise without known immune exposure, have been described that specifically recognize cells dying from apoptosis but their role in innate immunity remains poorly understood. Herein, we show that the immune response to neo-antigenic determinants on apoptotic thymocytes is dominated by antibodies to oxidation-associated antigens, phosphorylcholine (PC), a head group that becomes exposed during programmed-cell death, and malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive aldehyde degradation product of polyunsaturated lipids produced following exposure to reactive-oxidation species. While natural antibodies to apoptotic cells in naM-CM-/ve adult mice were dominated by PC and MDA specificities, the amounts of these antibodies were substantially boosted by treatment of mice with apoptotic cells. Moreover, the relative amounts of PC and MDA antibodies was affected by VH gene inheritance. Antibody interactions with apoptotic-cells also mediated the recruitment of C1q, which alone can promote apoptotic-cell phagocytosis by immature dendritic cells. Significantly, IgM-antibodies to both PC and MDA were primary factors in determining the efficiency of serum-dependent apoptotic-cell phagocytosis. Hence, we demonstrate a mechanism by which certain natural antibodies that recognize neo-antigens on apoptotic cells, in naM-CM-/ve mice and those induced by immune exposure to apoptotic-cells, can enhance the functional capabilities of immature dendritic cells for phagocytic engulfment of apoptotic cells. Keywords: Natural antibodies, Inflammation, Complement, Apoptosis In the study presented here, a total of 11 custom-spotted protein slides were hybridized with a T15 IgM monoclonal antibody at three different concentrations, an isotype control IgM, 2 slides were hybridized with serum from naM-QM-^Wve mice, 2 slides incubated with serum from mice immunized with apoptotic cells, 2 slides were incubated with serum from mice immunized with saline, and a negative control slide with no antibody hybridized

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Human anti-C1q autoantibodies bind specifically to solid-phase C1q and enhance phagocytosis but not complement activation.

Publications

Human anti-C1q autoantibodies bind specifically to solid-phase C1q and enhance phagocytosis but not complement activation.

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