Original Research-Basic Science

Maggot excretions affect the human complement system

  1. Gwendolyn Cazander MD, PhD1,2,*,
  2. Marco W. J. Schreurs PhD3,†,
  3. Lennaert Renwarin2,
  4. Corry Dorresteijn4,
  5. Dörte Hamann PhD5,
  6. Gerrolt. N. Jukema MD, PhD6

Article first published online: 30 OCT 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1524-475X.2012.00850.x

Issue

Wound Repair and Regeneration

Wound Repair and Regeneration

Volume 20, Issue 6, pages 879–886, November-December 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Cazander, G., Schreurs, M. W. J., Renwarin, L., Dorresteijn, C., Hamann, D. and Jukema, Gerrolt. N. (2012), Maggot excretions affect the human complement system. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 20: 879–886. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-475X.2012.00850.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Surgery, Bronovo Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands

  2. 2

    Department of Trauma Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  3. 3

    Department of Pathology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  4. 4

    Department of Medical Microbiology & Infection Control, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  5. 5

    Department of Immunopathology and Blood Coagulation, Sanquin Diagnostics, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

  6. 6

    Department of Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland

  1. †

    Current address: Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

* Reprint requests:
Dr. G. Cazander, Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands.
Tel.: +31 6 13616350;
Fax: + 31 70 3124355;
Email: gwendolyn_cazander@hotmail.com

  1. †

    Current address: Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 5 NOV 2012
  2. Article first published online: 30 OCT 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 19 JUL 2012
  4. Manuscript Received: 3 OCT 2011

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Abstract

The complement system plays an important role in the activation of the inflammatory response to injury, although inappropriate complement activation (CA) can lead to severe tissue damage. Maggot therapy is successfully used to treat infected wounds. In this study, we hypothesized that maggot excretions/secretions influence CA in order to modulate the host's inflammatory response. Therefore, the effect of maggot excretions on CA was investigated in preoperatively and postoperatively obtained sera from patients. Our results show that maggot excretions reduce CA in healthy and postoperatively immune-activated human sera up to 99.9%, via all pathways. Maggot excretions do not specifically initiate or inhibit CA, but break down complement proteins C3 and C4 in a cation-independent manner and this effect proves to be temperature tolerant. This study indicates a CA-reducing substrate that is already successfully used in clinical practice and may explain part of the improved wound healing caused by maggot therapy. Furthermore, the complement activation-reducing substance present in maggot excretions could provide a novel treatment modality for several diseases, resulting from an (over)active complement system.

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