Y402H polymorphism of complement factor H affects binding affinity to C-reactive protein

Matti Laine, Hanna Jarva, Sanna P Seitsonen, Karita Haapasalo, Markus J Lehtinen, Nina Lindeman, Don H Anderson, Patrick T Johnson, Irma Järvelä, Sakari Jokiranta, Gregory S Hageman, Ilkka Immonen, Seppo Meri, Sanna Seitsonen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

Abstract

Complement factor H (FH) is an important regulator of the alternative complement pathway. The Y402H polymorphism within the seventh short consensus repeat of FH was recently shown to be associated with age-related macular degeneration, the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the Western world. We examined the effects of this polymorphism on various FH functions. FH purified from sera of age-related macular degeneration patients homozygous for the FH402H variant showed a significantly reduced binding to C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase protein, as compared with FH derived from unaffected controls homozygous for the FH402Y variant. Strongly reduced binding to CRP was also observed with a recombinant fragment of FH (short consensus repeat 5-7) containing the same amino acid change. Because the interaction of CRP and FH promotes complement-mediated clearance of cellular debris in a noninflammatory fashion, we propose that the reduced binding of FH402H to CRP could lead to an impaired targeting of FH to cellular debris and a reduction in debris clearance and enhanced inflammation along the macular retinal pigmented epithelium-choroid interface in individuals with age-related macular degeneration.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Immunology
Volume178
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)3831-3836
Number of pages6
ISSN0022-1767
Publication statusPublished - 2007
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

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