Complement activation by myeloperoxidase products released from stimulated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Purified human myeloperoxidase (MPO) converted human C5 to an activated form, i.e. the C5 protein adopted a configuration expressing a binding site for C6; the resulting C56 complex then reacted with C7, C8 and C9 forming a hemolytic C5-9 complex. For the activation by myeloperoxidase chloride and hydrogen peroxide were essential. This indicates that the peroxidase acted through the generation of HOCl which had been shown earlier to oxidize and activate C5. Human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) were stimulated in vitro by incubation with opsonized zymosan; thereafter the supernatants were tested for C5 activating potency. Stimulated PMN release H2O2 and MPO that produces hypochlorite and secondarily various chloramines. As a trap for the labile hypochlorite generated excess taurine was added to the PMN suspensions during the incubation. Hypochlorite is then stoichiometrically converted to the relatively stable taurine chloramine. In order to rule out interfering activities of proteolytic enzymes released from the PMN and known to attack C5, the supernatants were ultracentrifuged, and the ultrafiltrates, containing only low molecular weight compounds, were used for the further studies. They contained taurine chloramine, estimated photometrically, and they activated C5 upon incubation, assayed functionally by reactive lysis. Azide, an inhibitor of myeloperoxidase, and catalase which destroys H2O2, essential for MPO-catalyzed oxidations, prevented the generation of C5 activating potency and of chloramines. Unstimulated PMN produced neither oxidants nor C5 activating potency. When taurine was omitted from the PMN suspensions during stimulations much less oxidant was found in the supernatants and less C5 activating potency. These findings indicate that the C5 activating agent was produced by stimulated PMN through MPO-generated hypochlorite, trapped as taurine chloramine. In the absence of added taurine the hypochlorite formed by MPO oxidized endogenous amines that also activated C5. Further studies suggested that among these was some monochloramine derived from endogenous ammonia. Activation of the terminal complement reaction sequence by MPO released from stimulated PMN may represent a third pathway to complement activation contributing to and reinforcing complement and PMN functions at the site of inflammation or tissue injury.