Immune complex induced generation of oxygen metabolites by human neutrophils.

Human neutrophils have been studied for their ability to respond with production of O(2) and H2O2 by human neutrophils contain a 1:2 weight ratio of antigen and antibody (molar ratio of 1.5:1). The metabolic stimulation of leukocytes is a linear function of the total amount of complex used. Complexes containing F(ab')2 are ineffective in stimulating leukocytes to produce O(2) and H2O2. The complexes that maximally stimulate production of O(2) by neutrophils differ from those complexes that are 1) most effective in complement fixation, 2) maximally taken up by neutrophils, and 3) most effective in the induction of enzyme release. These findings suggest that immune complex-induced damage in tissues may reflect the effects of a heterogeneous population of immune complexes.