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...

The complement system is the first line of defense against foreign intruders, and deregulation of this system has been described in multiple diseases. In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), patients have higher complement activation levels compared to controls. Recently, a combination of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of the complement system, referred to as a complot...

Intravenous infusion of high doses of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in monkeys has been associated with transient alterations in hematologic and hemodynamic parameters, which appear to be secondary to complement activation. ISIS 2302, a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide specific for human intracellular adhesion molecule-1, was used to further characterize complement activation in monkeys. Co...

To investigate the usefulness of indices of complement activation in the diagnosis of infections in the neonatal period, activation products C4d, Ba, and C3d were measured in 42 babies with a putative diagnosis of infection based on clinical/laboratory criteria, and compared with conventional clinical and haematological criteria of infection and with C reactive protein. The diagnosis of sepsis ...

In hemodialysis using 3 types of dialysis membrane materials [regenerated cellulose (RC), cellulose triacetate (CTA), and polysulfone (PS)], activation of the complement, reduction of white blood cells, and variation of vitronectin (VN) were observed. RC membrane caused a significant reduction of white blood cells and elevations of Bb and soluble membrane attack complex (S-MAC), indicating a st...

BACKGROUND Systemic activation of complement during meningococcal disease is associated with severe disease and poor outcome. The exact mechanism of activation of complement is unknown but is important for future therapies aimed at modulating the complement system in this disease. METHODS We studied complement activation in a group of 22 patients, including 18 with meningococcal septic shock ...

For decades, complement has been recognized as an effector arm of the immune system that contributes to the destruction of tumor cells. In fact, many therapeutic strategies have been proposed that are based on the intensification of complement-mediated responses against tumors. However, recent studies have challenged this paradigm by demonstrating a tumor-promoting role for complement. Cancer c...

There is evidence that the classical complement pathway may be activated via a "C1-tickover" mechanism, analogous to the C3-tickover of the alternative pathway. We have quantitated and characterized this pathway of complement activation. Analysis of freshly collected mouse and human plasma revealed that spontaneous C3 activation rapidly occurred with the generation of C3 fragments in the plasma...

Abstract Introduction: Thalassemia is the most common hereditary anemia in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the humoral immune system and assess the effect of splenectomy on the serum level of immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and IgA and complement components in patients with major thalassemia. Materials and Methods: This interventional semi-experimental study (before-after) was performed...