Distribution of C3-step regulatory proteins of the complement system, CD35 (CR1), CD46 (MCP), and CD55 (DAF), in hematological malignancies.

The distribution and levels of three membrane proteins, CD35, CD46, and CD55, which serve as complement regulators, were examined in normal peripheral blood and hematologically malignant cells. CD35 was negative in most leukemia cells regardless of the type of leukemia, although granulocytes, monocytes, and some populations of lymphocytes were CD35+. CD46 was present in all blood cells except erythrocytes, and levels were 2-8 times higher in most leukemia cells than in their mature counterparts, particularly in CML and CLL cells, except for those of B cell lineage. CD55, a widely-distributed phosphatidyl inositol-anchored protein, was more frequently lost in NHL cells than in other types of hematological malignancies. In this review, we discuss the roles, mechanisms, and clinical applications of cell-associated complement regulatory proteins in hematological malignancies.