Complement receptor expression of primates and non-primates detected by the rosette formation technique.

The expression of complement receptors were studied on erythrocytes and platelets from 14 non-human primates and 3 non-primate species by rosette formation. It was found that the reactivity of erythrocytes with the cell bound complement is deeply dependent on which species are used as the complement source. The erythrocytes from Prosimian do not react with any kind of complement, while their platelets react with many kinds of complement. New World monkey erythrocytes do not react with indicator cells binding complements from guinea pig or man, while some of them react with indicators binding complements from non-human primate species. Contrarily Old World monkey erythrocytes react with complements from guinea pig, man and non-human primate. Hominoidea erythrocytes reacted with all the complements tested. Rabbit expresses C3 receptors on their erythrocytes for rabbit C3 and on their platelets for rabbit, guinea pig or mouse C3. Guinea pig expresses receptors on their erythrocytes for guinea pig and mouse C3, and on their platelets for guinea pig, mouse, rabbit and human C3. It becomes clear that not all of erythrocytes from primate and platelets from non-primate always express complement receptors as has been stated in the text books.