Complement activation and regulation in rheumatic disease

Complement Activation and Regulation in Preeclamptic Placenta

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common disorder of pregnancy originating in the placenta. We examined whether excessive activation or poor regulation of the complement system at the maternal-fetal interface could contribute to the development of PE. Location and occurrence of complement components and regulators in placentae were analyzed. Cryostat sections of placentae were processed from 7 early-onset...

Complement activation profiles in disease.

Complement is an acute-reacting non-specific effector system. Activation and consumption of individual components of this multicomponent system occur secondarily to specific complement fixing events. The complement system is therefore an indirect and imprecise diagnostic tool and can be used clinically only as a general indicator of the severity of a particular disease or as a monitor of its pr...

Complement activation, regulation, and molecular basis for complement-related diseases.

The complement system is an essential element of the innate immune response that becomes activated upon recognition of molecular patterns associated with microorganisms, abnormal host cells, and modified molecules in the extracellular environment. The resulting proteolytic cascade tags the complement activator for elimination and elicits a pro-inflammatory response leading to recruitment and ac...

The Lectin Pathway of Complement and Rheumatic Heart Disease

The innate immune system is the first line of host defense against infection and is comprised of humoral and cellular mechanisms that recognize potential pathogens within minutes or hours of entry. The effector components of innate immunity include epithelial barriers, phagocytes, and natural killer cells, as well as cytokines and the complement system. Complement plays an important role in the...

Indirect Complement Fixation in Foot-and-Mouth Disease