title: Role of complement in the toxicity of dietary legumes.
abstract: On the basis of in vivo data Jayne-Williams (1) has proposed that the toxicity of dietary legumes is due to their content of lectins which are immunosuppressive. On the basis of in vitro data with cultured lymphocytes (2), it is now proposed that ingested lectins bind to cell surfaces and cause autologous complement components to bind to and destroy immunologically competent cells. The hypothesis throws a possible light on the aetiology of favism and Whipple's disease.
mesh_terms: D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology; D005236:Favism / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D037102:Lectins / Q000276:immunology*; D037121:Plant Lectins; D014675:Vegetables / Q000506:poisoning*; D008061:Whipple Disease / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D037102:Lectins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003165:Complement System Proteins