Antibody-independent binding of Clq and activation of serum complement by human skin in vitro.

By exposing frozen sections of human skin to fresh normal human serum, binding and activation of complement was observed. Attached complement components Clq, C4, and C3 were detected by immunofluorescence microscopy using anticomplement conjugates. Isolated Clq bound to the same structures as serum Clq, C4, and C3 and binding of C4 and C3 was dependent on binding of Clq. The complement components bound to capillary endothelial cells and to fibrillar structures in the dermis and reacted with the epidermis. Complement binding dermal fibrillar structures in adult skin were scant but abundant in fetal skin. They had similar distribution as "microfibrils" demonstrable by human autoantibodies. Antibody independence of the Clq binding was shown using isolated Clq and by the observed constant and reproducible binding of complement of normal sera lacking antibodies to the described target structures. The observations suggest that antibody independent binding of complement should be considered as a possible mechanism leading to dermal complement deposition in vivo.