title: Activation of complement by leptospires and its bactericidal activity.
abstract: Bactericidal activity of complement was found to be effective on saprophytic Leptospira biflexa strains and not on Leptospira interrogans strains, by means of viable counting; the killing effect on saprophytic strains was probably due to a direct activation of the complement system via the alternative pathway. On the contrary the pathogenic strains seemed to activate the complement at a lower extent and were, in any case, resistant to the lytic action of the activated complement.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003167:Complement Activation; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000172:deficiency; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007919:Leptospira / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D003181:Complement C4; D003165:Complement System Proteins