title: Complement activation in malaria: friend or foe?
abstract: Complement is activated during malaria infection, but there is little evidence that it benefits the host. On the contrary, growing evidence points to the central role of complement activation in the pathogenesis of complicated malaria. Recent evidence suggests a critical role for C5a and the membrane attack complex in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria, and for C5a in the pathogenesis of placental malaria. In addition, erythrocytes of children with severe malarial anemia have increased deposition of C3b and decreased capacity to regulate complement activation, that probably increase their susceptibility to destruction by liver and splenic macrophages. These observations justify further investigation of the role of complement in malaria and the testing of complement inhibitors as adjunctive treatment for severe malaria.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
authors: Sergei
authors: S
authors: Biryukov
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, MC H036, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. Electronic address: jstoute@psu.edu.
authors: José A
authors: JA
authors: Stoute
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003167:Complement Activation; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D003165:Complement System Proteins
keywords: Plasmodium falciparum; cerebral malaria; complement; malaria; placental malaria; severe malarial anemia