1177
SERUM-COMPLEMENT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
SiR,-Reports of serum-complement values mean
in
multiple
al.’ reported low activities in acute aI.2.3 found that about 30% of M.S. patients
conflicting. Kuwert et complement component (C,, C3, C4)
sclerosis (M.s.)
are
cases; Trouillas et
persistent or fluctuating hypocomplementaemia (C,C3, B) and Zibetti et al .4 came to the same conclusion; others5., found mean complement values no lower than in conhad a factor
trols ; and Dube et al. reported that C3 and C4 levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid. None of these studies took chronic infection into account, even though infection stimulates complement synthesis. We have measured total serum complementary activity (C) in 135 M.S. patients by the method of Vargues (and recorded in Vargues units) and C3, C4, and C3pA (factor B) serum levels
by automated nephelometry (Technicon).
M.S.
patients
were
divided into three groups: 83 chronic, non-infected patients, 22 chronic, infected patients, and 30 acute, non-infected patients. Criteria of infection were bedsores or permanent urinary catheter with fever, raised erythrocyte-sedimentation rate, and/or hyperfibrinxmia. Results were compared with those of 87
healthy controls. The mean C value was significantly higher in the M.S. patients as a whole (355+101) than in controls (333+69) (P
SERUM-COMPLEMENT IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
SiR,-Reports of serum-complement values mean
in
multiple
al.’ reported low activities in acute aI.2.3 found that about 30% of M.S. patients
conflicting. Kuwert et complement component (C,, C3, C4)
sclerosis (M.s.)
are
cases; Trouillas et
persistent or fluctuating hypocomplementaemia (C,C3, B) and Zibetti et al .4 came to the same conclusion; others5., found mean complement values no lower than in conhad a factor
trols ; and Dube et al. reported that C3 and C4 levels were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid. None of these studies took chronic infection into account, even though infection stimulates complement synthesis. We have measured total serum complementary activity (C) in 135 M.S. patients by the method of Vargues (and recorded in Vargues units) and C3, C4, and C3pA (factor B) serum levels
by automated nephelometry (Technicon).
M.S.
patients
were
divided into three groups: 83 chronic, non-infected patients, 22 chronic, infected patients, and 30 acute, non-infected patients. Criteria of infection were bedsores or permanent urinary catheter with fever, raised erythrocyte-sedimentation rate, and/or hyperfibrinxmia. Results were compared with those of 87
healthy controls. The mean C value was significantly higher in the M.S. patients as a whole (355+101) than in controls (333+69) (P
