title: Complement and immunity.
abstract: Our body is in constant interaction with the environment. Some of the interactions involve the recognition and disposal of foreign substances that may harm the delicate balance between health and disease. The foreign elements, or antigens, include infectious organisms and lifeless macromolecules. The ability of the body to recognize what is dangerous and what is inconsequential, and to refrain from damaging what is perceived as self, are the main functions of the immune system. One important component of the innate immune response is the complement system. This article describes the different mechanisms of how complement is activated and the consequence of this activation, followed by a characterization of the complement's role in inflammation and autoimmunity, and the therapeutic considerations emanating from these studies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8045, CSRB 6604, 4940 Parkview Place, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. hmolina@imgate.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Molina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000502:physiology; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D003165:Complement System Proteins