C4, BF, C3 allele distribution and complement activity in healthy aged people and centenarians.

Authors: Bellavia D; Fradà G; Di Franco P; Feo S; Franceschi C; Sansoni P; Brai M

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the complement system and the distribution of some human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class III alleles (C4, BF) in healthy aged people (77 centenarians and 89 elderly subjects). We have also studied the alleles of C3, a complement component genetically unrelated to HLA, the immunochemical levels of C4 and C3 and serum functional hemolytic activity for classical (CH50) and alternative (AP50) complement pathway. The levels of C3 and C4 and the CH50 and AP50 were found to be within the normal range. The frequencies of C3, BF, and C4A alleles were similar in the cohorts that have been studied. For C4B null allele (C4BQ0) a trend toward an increase in the older cohort was observed, although the differences were not significant after statistical correction. Our data suggest that the complement system is well preserved in centenarians and elderly subjects and class III HLA antigens are equally distributed in aged cohorts and in young healthy individuals.

Keywords: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging/*genetics/immunology; *Alleles; Cohort Studies; Complement Activation/*genetics; Complement C3/analysis/*genetics; Complement C4/analysis/*genetics; Complement Factor B/analysis/*genetics; Complement Pathway, Alternative/genetics; Complement Pathway, Classical/genetics; DNA/genetics; Female; Gene Deletion; HLA Antigens/genetics; Hemolysis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polymorphism, Genetic
Journal: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
Volume: 54
Issue: 4
Pages: B150-3
Date: April 28, 1999
PMID: 10219002
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Notes:

C4A alleles were examined in healthy aged people (77 centenarians and 89 elderly subjects).

The frequencies of C4A alleles were similar in the studied cohorts. For C4B null allele (C4BQ0) a trend toward an increase in the older cohort was observed, although the differences were not statistically significant after correction for multiple testing.

The study groups included 77 healthy centenarian 13 males and 64 females, mean age 101.4 years, range 100 to 107 years), 89 elderly subjects (20 males and 69 females, mean age 72 years, range 70 to 89 years), and 235 young subjects less than 5 years old 134 makes and 101 females, mean age 35 years, range 18 to 49 years. The elderly subjects were selected for being healthy according to the Seniour protocol. All the individuals under study were Italian and unrelated.

Functional assays performed on serum samples of the subjects showed that they had intact classic and alternative complement hemolytic activities and plasma concentrations of C3 and C4 within the normal range. The frequency distributions of C4A, C4B and BF allele was similar in all three groups. The frequencies of the C4A null alleles were similar in centenarians versus healthy elderly (9.1% vs 9.5%; X2 = 2=0.05, 0.002;p =.9) and versus young people(9.1% vs 8.1%; X p =.8). An increase of C4BQO in the older cohort was observed: 2 = 3.9, p = .05), centenarians versus old people (17% vs 9%, X centenarians versus young people (17% vs 11%; X2 = 3.9; p = .04), but this difference was not maintained after correction for the number of alleles examined.



Categories: Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism
Citation:

Bellavia D, Fradà G, Di Franco P, Feo S, Franceschi C, Sansoni P, Brai M (1999) C4, BF, C3 allele distribution and complement activity in healthy aged people and centenarians. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 54: B150-3.


Lifespan Factors:
  • C4A complement component 4A (Rodgers blood group)
  • CFB complement factor B
  • C3 complement component 3
  • C4B complement component 4B (Chido blood group)

  • Longevity Variant Associations (p-value):
  • C4A3
  • C4AQ0
  • C4B1 (0.05)
  • C4BQO
  • BF
  • C3F
  • C4A2
  • C4A6
  • C4B2
  • BF F
  • BF S
  • BF S07
  • BF Fl
  • C3S
  • C3SS
  • C3FF
  • C3SF

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