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Complement Levels in Relation to Certain Antibodies in Polytransfused Thalassaemic Patients 1
Author(s) -
Economidou Joanna,
Pathouli C.,
Hadziyannis S.,
Fostiropoulos G.,
Constantoulakis M.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1976.tb02220.x
Subject(s) - antibody , immunology , medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , rheumatoid factor , complement (music) , anti nuclear antibody , complement system , autoantibody , biology , biochemistry , complementation , gene , phenotype
. Polytransfused patients are exposed to a variety of antigenic stimuli which may eventually trigger autoimmune reactions. The relation of scrum complement to the occurrence of various antibodies has been investigated in a group of 75 polytransfused thalassaemic patients. The incidence of the antibodies studied was as follows: anti‐HBs 77%, anti‐Gm 64%, rheumatoid factor 31%, antinuclear 13%, anti‐smooth muscle 47%. Anti‐parietal cell, anti‐thyroid and anti‐kidney were only rarely found and antimitochondrial antibodies were never detected. Total hemolytic complement was low in 6 and incidentally decreased in 21 patients. A positive correlation was found between low serum complement and presence of rheumatoid factor. The high incidence of anti‐smooth muscle antibodies seems to be unrelated to liver disease.