Role of the spleen in pneumococcal infection.
Complement and the spleen interact in host defense against the encapsulated Pneumococcus, responsible for most OPSI. Splenectomized patients lack splenic phagocytes specialized to clear bacteria coated with only small amounts of IgG from the bloodstream, and they are unable to mount a sufficient antibody response for liver macrophages to overcome the defect.
D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013156:Splenectomy
D003165:Complement System Proteins