Previous: References

Papers I-VI (Abstracts from Medline)

Paper I:J Intern Med 1996 Feb;239(2):119-30

Hereditary angio-oedema: new clinical observations and autoimmune screening, complement and kallikrein-kinin analyses.

Nielsen EW, Gran JT, Straume B, Mellbye OJ, Johansen HT, Mollnes TE

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

OBJECTIVES. To study clinical and laboratory manifestations of hereditary angio-oedema (HAE). SUBJECTS. Thirty-three affected members of a kindred of 63. RESULTS. Oedematous attacks in the skin, mucous membranes and gastrointestinal tract with fluid displacement were elicited by mental and physical stress, minor traumas, dental and surgical procedures, eruption of teeth, tonsillitis, pregnancies, and use of oestrogen-containing pills including menopausal substitution. Every adult woman with symptomatic HAE (n = 11) showed symptoms of urinary tract infections in conjunction with the attacks (P = 0.010), and also experienced more spontaneous abortions or premature labours (P = 0.037) than healthy relatives. Patients with HAE of both sexes more frequently reported heartburn or peptic ulcers (P = 0.002). Rheumatic complaints were reported by 53% of HAE patients and 12% of their unaffected relatives (P = 0.013), but biochemical screening for 18 autoantibodies and quantitation of immunoglobulins did not reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups. C3, prekallikrein, total kininogen, high molecular weight kininogen (HK), alpha-2-macroglobulin and factor XII were not significantly different in HAE patients. In contrast, levels of C1-INH and C4 were depressed and cleaved HK increased in patients compared to unaffected relatives. CONCLUSIONS. HAE manifests in a variety of ways, and may influence risk of spontaneous abortions and premature labour.

Paper II: J Immunol Methods 1994 Aug 1;173(2):245-51

Effect of time, temperature and additives on a functional assay of C1 inhibitor.

Nielsen EW, Johansen HT, Straume B, Mollnes TE

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

There are different recommendations for the handling of blood samples for analyses of the kallikrein-kinin or complement system, respectively. C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) takes a crucial part in both systems. In order to establish recommendations for blood specimen collection and transport for making the diagnosis of hereditary angioedema (HAE), the effect of time, temperature and different additives on C1-INH function and antigen was determined. We used blood samples from normals and patients suffering from HAE type I. Plasma containing EDTA, heparin, sodium citrate or polybrene-EDTA, and serum were assayed after incubations at 4 degrees C or 37 degrees C for 6 or 24 h. In addition, pooled serum was incubated for up to 5 days at room temperature. A modest decrease in C1-INH function was observed as an effect of storage-time in samples from normals (p = 0.039) and a substantial decrease was seen for the HAE patients (p = 0.0002). No significant effect of temperature (4 degrees C or 37 degrees C) was found. Clotting did not reduce C1-INH activity. Plasma containing heparin or polybrene interfered with the functional assay, yielding falsely high and low values, respectively. C1-INH functional assay performed within 24 h in serum, EDTA-treated or citrated plasma discriminated well between HAE patients and normals. This was also the case for serum kept at room temperature for up to 5 days, although a modest fall in C1-INH function was seen in the incubation period. For practical purposes we recommend serum as the sample of choice, preferably received within 48 h.

Paper III: Pediatr Res 1994 Feb;35(2):184-7

C1 inhibitor and diagnosis of hereditary angioedema in newborns.

Nielsen EW, Johansen HT, Holt J, Mollnes TE

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

Symptoms of hereditary angioedema may present during the child's first years. Attacks may be a particular threat to the narrower airway of the child. An early diagnosis is most valuable because effective C1 inhibitor (C1 INH) concentrate is available. We present a reference area for the antigenic and functional determination of C1 INH by using uncontaminated umbilical cord blood from 80 normal newborns collected by puncturing vessels in the newly delivered placenta. We examined two full-term babies (1 and 2) from mothers with hereditary angioedema type I the same way. The concentration of C1 INH antigen was determined by radial immunodiffusion. The C1 INH functional assay was based on the addition of a known quantity of C1s, which enzymatically splits a chromogenic substrate. The test was performed in the presence of methylamine and heparin in a kinetic microtiter plate assay. Citrated plasma was used in both assays. The data obtained in the 80 cord blood samples (2.5-97.5 percentile) were 0.11-0.22 g/L for C1 INH antigen (adults, 0.15-0.33 g/L) and 47.2-85.9% for C1 INH function (percentage of adults). In cord blood, baby 1 had an antigenic value of 0.12 g/L (7.5 percentile) and C1 INH function of 61.8% (42 percentile). The corresponding values for baby 2 in cord blood were less than 0.05 g/L (0.106 g/L < 2.5 percentile) and 34.3% (12.9% < 2.5 percentile). Baby 2 had markedly lower C4 values yet much higher C4 activation products than baby 1. At 4 mo, baby 1 had an antigenic C1 INH value of 0.24 g/L.

Paper IV: Scand J Immunol 1995 Dec;42(6):679-85

C3 is activated in hereditary angioedema, and C1/C1-inhibitor complexes rise during physical stress in untreated patients.

Nielsen EW, Johansen HT, Gaudesen O, Osterud B, Olsen JO, Hogasen K, Hack CE, Mollnes TE

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

Seven patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) were studied to understand further how physical exercise may induce attacks. The most pronounced differences between patients and controls, however, were independent of the controlled bicycle run (mean values in patients/ controls); C4(g/L): 0.12/0.28 (P = 0.0122); C4bc (AU/ml): 137.0/18.0 (P = 0.0002); C4d (mg/mL): 5.03/2.35 (P = 0.0004); C3bc (AU/ml): 8.4/6.3 (P = 0.0049); C3a (AU/ml): 11.1/5.6 (P = 0.0102). The ratio C4bc to C4 was 1141 versus 64. Consequently, a substantial part of the low amount of C4 left in HAE patients consists of activation products, and the authors show for the first time that a mild but significant activation of C3 occurs in HAE. The two HAE patients treated with danazol had values of C1-INH function and antigen, C4, and C2 in-between those of normal and untreated patients, and lower levels of split products from C4 and high molecular weight kininogen than untreated patients. As a result of the exercise, fibrinolysis increased significantly in both patients and controls, while C1/C1-INH complexes rose significantly only in the five HAE patients without treatment when compared to the seven controls (P = 0.0089). This study thus suggests that complement activation is enhanced in untreated HAE patients following physical stress.

Paper V: Thromb Haemost 1995 Oct;74(4):1103-6

Factor VIIa in patients with C1-inhibitor deficiency.

Nielsen EW, Morrissey J, Olsen JO, Osterud B

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

In hereditary angioedema (HAE), normal C1-inhibitor (C1-INH) is low and the contact system activated. Recently, the findings of a tissue factor mutant selectively deficient in promoting the conversion of FVII to FVIIa, but with retained cofactor for FVIIa, made it possible to examine reliably the pre-existing content of FVIIa in HAE patients. This was of interest as FXIIa (mainly inhibited by C1-INH) is able to activate FVII directly. FVIIa in 21 remission HAE patients were within normal limits but nearly doubled as compared to their 23 normal siblings (p = 0.0017). Cold promoted activation of FVII (CPA) (common clot assay) was displayed in plasma of all 5 untreated patients (C1-INH function < 35%), but not in plasma of 2 patients treated prophylactically with danazol (C1-INH function about 40%). These results suggest that there is a minute, yet significant activation of FVII in patients with C1-INH deficiency.

Paper VI: Scand J Immunol 1996 Aug;44(2):185-92

Activation of the complement, coagulation, fibrinolytic and kallikrein-kinin systems during attacks of hereditary angioedema.

Nielsen EW, Johansen HT, Hogasen K, Wuillemin W, Hack CE, Mollnes TE

Department of Anaesthesiology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodo, Norway.

Five patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) were studied during attacks and remission as were healthy controls. The high levels of C1/C1-INH complexes, low C4 and high ratio C4 activation products (C4bc)/C4 also differed significantly during remission compared to controls. During attacks C4bc/C4 increased (922-2007; P = 0.022, remission versus attacks, median values throughout), C2 and CH50 dropped (111-31%; P = 0.043 and 110-36%; P = 0.016, respectively), TCC (C5b-9) increased (0.88-1.23 AU/ml; P = 0.028). Cleavage of HK increased to be almost complete during attacks (20-90%; P = 0.009). While factor XIa/serpin-complexes did not increase, a more than twofold rise in thrombin/antithrombin-complexes (0.20-0.50 microgram/l; P = 0.009) and in plasmin/alpha-2-antiplasmin-complexes (7.3-17 nmol/l; P = 0.028) was observed. For the first time cascade activation in HAE was studied simultaneously, and corroborates that attacks lead to activation of the kallikrein-kinin system, fibrinolysis and early part of the classical complement pathway. In addition, the authors present novel data of terminal complement and coagulation activation, the latter apparently not via FXIa.