Meningococcemia and acquired complement deficiency. Association in patients with hepatic failure.

We treated two patients with severe hepatic failure complicated by meningococcemia. Serum complement profiles performed on these patients found low total hemolytic complement assays, normal concentrations of C1q, and low or undetectable concentrations of C3 through C6, C8, C9, and factors B and I. These studies suggest that these patients developed meningococcemia in the setting of acquired complement deficiency from impaired synthesis of multiple complement system proteins.