The metabolism of C3 in adult coeliac disease

To study possible pathogenetic mechanisms in adult coeliac disease, we performed a metabolic investigation of a component (C3) of the most important effector of humoral immunity, the complement system. Purified and biologically active C3 was labelled with 125I and injected together with 131I-labelled albumin into six patients with adult coeliac disease exhibiting different degrees of disease activity. The same labelled preparations were given to 12 normal individuals. Plasma and urine radioactivity were studied for a total of 8 days. Fractional catabolic rates (FCR) and synthesis rates were calculated by the metabolic clearance method. Other mathematical methods were not used because a final straight exponential was not always obtained, probably owing to extravascular sequestration of protein. An increased FCR was found in most patients, with the highest values seen in active, untreated disease. This suggests that activation of complement by immune complexes may be a pathogenetic factor in adult coeliac disease.