C2 reference typing report

Thirty samples contributed by seven laboratories to the VIth Complement Genetics Workshop were analyzed by isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting with a specific antihuman C2 antibody for the study of the polymorphism of native, activated and desialated C2. This study allowed to compare almost all the C2 variants so far described and also several 'new variants'. According to our results, the C2 system consists of nine structural variants at the protein level which include the common C2 C, the less common C2 B (in Caucasoids), four rare acidic and three rare basic variants. The polymorphic site for the basic variants is carried by the C2a fragment. Typing of desialated C2 is necessary to identify rare acidic or basic variants, especially the C2 BH and C2 BJ variants which seem difficult to be recognized in the native protein.