Human alveolar macrophages and monocytes generate the functional classical pathway of complement in vitro.

Binding of labelled protein to EIgM kept with macrophage or monocyte cultures with 3H-leucine under serum-free conditions, shows that de novo synthesis of protein with affinity to EIgM takes place. We find that monoclonal anti-C3c and anti-C3g antibodies and polyclonal anti-C4 and anti-C5 antibodies bind to such erythrocytes. This demonstrates that C4b, C3b and iC3b are deposited on the EIgM. Additional evidence for complement synthesis is the increase in binding of anti-C4 antibodies to EIgM when the incubation time was increased from 48 to 96 hours. Stimulation of the mononuclear phagocyte cultures with ET was necessary to obtain significant amounts of erythrocyte-bound complement proteins. From these results we conclude that the functional classical pathway of complement is produced in vitro by the monocytes and macrophages.