COMPLEMENT DEFICIENCIES AND MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE

Meningococcal disease and the complement system

Despite considerable advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of meningococcal disease, this infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The role of the complement system in innate immune defenses against invasive meningococcal disease is well established. Individuals deficient in components of the alternative and terminal complement pathways are highly predisp...

Investigation for complement deficiency following meningococcal disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The incidence of complement abnormalities in the UK is not known. It is suggested in at least three major paediatric textbooks to test for abnormalities of the complement system following meningococcal disease (MCD). METHODS Over a four year period, surviving children with a diagnosis of MCD had complement activity assessed. A total of 297 children, aged 2 months to 16 yea...

Meningococcal meningitis and complement deficiences

Results A hundred and twenty nine patients (69M:60F) were included in the study. The age of the patients ranged from 2 months (m) up to 64 years old (mean= 96.2m; median=48m). The following serogroups were identified: type C, 36.4%; B, 20.2%; W135, 1.5% and 41.9% had no serogroup identified. CH50 and AP50 values were below the reference levels in 48 patients (37.2%) and 97 patients (75.2%), and...

Inherited Classical and Alternative Pathway Complement Deficiencies in Children: A Single Center Experience

Complement in human diseases: Lessons from complement deficiencies.

Complement deficient cases reported in the second half of the last century have been of great help in defining the role of complement in host defence. Surveys of the deficient individuals have been instrumental in the recognition of the clinical consequences of the deficiencies. This review focuses on the analysis of the diseases associated with the deficiencies of the various components and re...