CHAPTER III – COMPLEMENT Flashcards
COMPLEMENT Meaning -
to Help or to make Complete
COMPLEMENT year
1890s
Coined the term:
Paul Ehrlich
Elucidate the control of the complement; Novel price
Jules Bordet
A primary part of the
Innate immune response
Substance under the
humoral-mediated immunity
Group of
30 different proteins
Designation
• Numerals (C1-C9)
• Letter symbols (factor D)
Cleavage Products – enzyme activation
a and b
named with a capital C followed by a
number
- results from the cleavage of a larger precursor by a protease
small letter
Ex. C3a/ C3b
• Larger fragment- designated as
• Smaller fragment- designated as
b
a
Exception:
C2 fragments
Larger-
smaller fragment-
C2a
C2b
Functions of Complement
- Lysis of cells, bacteria and viruses
- Opsonization
- Triggers specific cell functions, inflammation and secretion of immunoregulatory molecules
- Immune clearance: removal of immune complexes and deposition in the spleen and liver
Proteins and glycoproteins synthesized mainly by
liver hepatocytes
Most circulate in the serum functionally inactive forms as
proenzymes or zymogens
PRODUCES A
CASCADE PHENOMENON
WHERE THE PRODUCT OF ONE REACTION IS THE (?) OF THE NEXT
ENZYMATIC CATALYST
Heat Labile: destroyed when heated at
56°C for 30 mins
Anaphylatoxin
C3a, C4a, C5a
Increase Capillary Permeability
Role of C2b fragment
Chemotaxis
C5a
Virus neutralization
C4