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Complement-System Complement - System

The complement system consists of approximately 30 serum proteins that make up 10% of total serum proteins. It is one of the major defense systems of the body. The complement system has several functions including control of inflammatory reactions, clearance of immune complexes, cellular activation, and antimicrobial defense. Complement activation can occur through the classical, lectin, or alternative pathways and results in the generation of activated complement proteins that opsonize pathogens or act as chemoattractants.

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63 views

Complement-System Complement - System

The complement system consists of approximately 30 serum proteins that make up 10% of total serum proteins. It is one of the major defense systems of the body. The complement system has several functions including control of inflammatory reactions, clearance of immune complexes, cellular activation, and antimicrobial defense. Complement activation can occur through the classical, lectin, or alternative pathways and results in the generation of activated complement proteins that opsonize pathogens or act as chemoattractants.

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renato renato
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Complement- System

IMMUNOLOGY AND SEROLOGY (Our Lady of Fatima University)

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COMPLEMENT SYSTEM

Complement
 Collective term designating a complex series
/mixtures of plasma proteins that have
functions of zymogen.
 Group of non Ig circulating in the blood in
biologically inactive form.

Complement System
 C was discovered several years ago as a
heat labile of normal plasma that augment
opsonization of bacteria by Ab complement the
antibacterial activity of Ab
 Consist of approximately 30 serum
molecules
 10% of the total serum proteins
 One of the major defense systems of
the body.

Major Function Of The Complement System


 Control of inflammatory reaction and
chemotaxis.
 Clearance of the immune complexes
 Cellular activation and antimicrobial
defense.
 It is a major effector in immune Complement Activation
pathological diseases.  classical pathway which is activated by
 Ab bound to Ag.
 the lectin pathway activated by
carbohydrates.
 Alternative pathway activated in the
presence of various microbial pathogen
 The protein of the system act in enzyme
cascade.

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C1 Complex
Consequences Of The Complement Activation  C1q bind to Ab complexed with Ag.
 it generate large numbers of activated  C1q can also bind directly to the surface
complement proteins that bind covalently to of some pathogenes .
pathogens, opsonizing them for engulfment by  C1q bind to 2C1r and 2C1s zymogen.
phagocytes bearing receptors for complement .  Binding of C1q heads to the pathogen
 the small fragments of some surface cause enzymatic activity of C1r,
complement proteins act as chemo-attractants then cleave C1s to generate serine
to recruit more phagocytes to the site of protease .
complement activation and also to activate
these phagocytes.
 the terminal complement components
damage certain bacteria by creating pores in
the bacterial membrane .

Overview Of The Main Components And Effector


Actions Of Complement

C3 And Thioester Bond


 The α chain of C3 and C4 contain a
thioester bond between cystein and a
glutamine, following cleavage to C3a &
C3b ,allowing C3b or C4b to form
covalent bond with protein and
carbohydrate .

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Classical Pathway  MB-lectin forms a complex with two


protease: MBL associated serine
protease; MASP-1 and MASP-2.
 Closely homologous to C1r and C1s and
activated to cleave C4 and C2.

Hydrolysis Of C3 Causes Initiation Of The


Classical Pathway Of Complement Activation Alternative Pathway

 Spontaneous hydrolysis of plasma C3.


 C3b is produced at a significant rate by
spontaneous cleavage (C3 tick over)
through spontaneous hydrolysis of the
thioester in the C3 to form C3(H2O),
allowing binding factor B. factor D
plasma protease cleave factor B to form
C3(H2O)Bb a fluid C3 convertase, and
can cleave C3 to C3a and C3b. Most of
these C3b inactivated by H2O .

Alternative Pathway Of Complement Activation

The Mannose Binding Lectin Pathway


 The MB-lectin pathway uses a protein
very similar to C1q to trigger the complement
cascade.
 MB-lectin binds specifically to mannose
residues on pathogens surfaces.
 It is present at low conc. in normal
plasma and during acute phase reaction its
production increase by liver .

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The Terminal Complement Components


C5 Convertase
 C5 convertase are formed when a large number
of C3b on the surface of pathogen bind to
C4b2b or C3bBb.
 C5a is the most active anaphylatoxin .
 C5b initiate the assembly of the terminal
complement component.

Membrane Attack Complex

Anaphylatoxins : C4a,C3a and C5a causes local


inflammation
 C5a is more active than C3a which is
more active than C4a.
 C5a is a potent mast cell activation,
degranulate mast cell mediators; histamine and
TNFα induce inflammation.
 C5a can enhance phagocytosis of
opsonised microorganism.

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Regulatory Components

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