Prevalence of the 1.8 kb complement factor H mRNA in human lung

Human complement factor H, described as a 155,000 molecular weight (MW) component, is a key factor in the control of the alternative pathway of complement activation. Using two human factor H cDNA clones, designated R2a (a clone derived from the 3' end of the factor H coding sequence) and B38-1 (a clone derived from the 5' end of the factor H coding sequence), as probes, three factor H-specific transcripts of 4.3 kb, 1.8 kb and 1.5 kb are usually detected in human liver, in equal abundance. Using these two factor H cDNAs to probe human lung RNA, there was evidence of a singular distribution of the factor H mRNA species in human lung compared to liver, in equal prevalence of the 1.8 kb factor H mRNA over the 4.3 kb factor H mRNA (a three- to fourfold difference). No significant expression of the 1.5 kb mRNA was detected. The prevalence of the 1.8 kb complement factor H mRNA leads to the speculation that the predominant factor H form biosynthesized in lung tissue is a truncated form of the factor H molecule.