The Complement System Flashcards
___________ components leave the host extremely vulnerable to both infectious and autoimmune diseases.
Early
Biological Consequence of Complement Activation
Lysis of Ab- coated cells
Promoting Ab formation
Cell lysis and viral neutralization
Which complement components are deficient in recurrent Neisseria infections?
C5, C6, C7, C8, properin, Factor D
Deficiencies of the Alternative Pathway
Factors D and B
Factor D deficiency is
- very rare and has only been described in two families.
- Both of these families had multiple members with a history of serious infections.
Factor B is an acute phase protein and increases during inflammation.
•There is only one unconfirmed report of this deficiency in humans.
The tickover pathway is rapid and, once the ALPW has been initiated, more than_______________ molecules of C3b can be deposited on a microbial surface in less than 5 minutes.
2X 106
MAC is a doughnut-shaped structure with a ____________ exterior that allows association with the pathogen membrane. Its internal ___________ channel acts as a pore in the lipid bilayer and results in loss of ______________ and eventual destruction of the pathogen.
hydrophobic; hydrophilic; membrane integrity
Deficiencies of the Lectin Pathway Components
MBL, M-ficolin, L-ficolin, H-ficolin, CL-11, MASPs
- Serious pyrogenic (fever-inducing) infections in babies and children.
- found w/ a frequency 2 to 3 times higher in SLE patients than in normal subjects.
MBL is not a primary immunodeficiency
Three pathways of the complement system
Classical: antibody-antigen complex
Lectin: Lectin binding to pathogen surfaces
Alternative pathway: Pathogen surfaces
Deficiencies of the Alternative Pathway
Factor Properdin
- Properdin is the only CM protein that is X-linked.
- The protein is synthesized by monocytes, granulocytic cells and T-cells.
- Several mutant forms of the protein have been identified that result in decreased AP function.
- Properdin deficiency increases the susceptibility to bacterial infections of the Neisseria family of organisms.
- The most prominent in the group is N. meningitis, the cause of a serious form of meningitis.
- Typical family histories include male relatives who have had or died from Neisserial infections.
What role does the complement system play in triggering infection?
- C3a, C4a, and C5a act to stimulate smooth muscle contraction and increase vascular permeability.
- C5a and C3a bind to receptors on mast cells and basophils, and induce the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as histamine.
- When present at a high level, these complement fragments are involved in a generalized circulatory collapse termed anaphylactic (anaphylatoxins).
- Treated with epinephrine (adrenaline) shot ASAP
C3 is cleaved into C3a and C3b. What does C3a do?
binds to receptors on basophils & mast cells triggering the release of histamine (anaphylatoxin)
What role does CR1 play?
- Increases uptake of Ag by antigen-presenting cells
- Can help provide secondary signals to B cells for activation and increase their uptake of antigen to present to helper T cells
- Can help to stimulate T cells to release cytokines, further potentiating innate inflammatory and adaptive immune responses
•Patients with a deficiency in properdin production are uniquely susceptible to ______________induced by the _____________ bacterium. These findings suggest that properdin has the capacity to act as a ______________, specifically directing the activation of the alternative pathway onto the surface of Neisseria and other microbial cells.
meningococcal disease; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; pattern recognition receptor (PRR)
What bond is formed when C4 is cleaved? What effect does this have?
A thioester bond is exposed.
- This bond is reactive, binding to amino groups on the surface of a target
- If no target is present, the bond is quickly hydrolyzed and rendered inert
Which complement components are deficient in asymptomatic?
C9
What are the major components of the classical pathway?
C1 through C9, which are inactive until they are cleaved
the first lectin demonstrated to be capable of initiating CM activation
Mannose-binding Lectin
The Alternative Protease-Activated Pathway
- Thrombin cleaves C3 and C5 in vitro with the release of the active anaphyltoxins C3a and C5a
- Plasmin is capable of generatin both C3 a and C5a
- Platelet activation releases ATP, Ca2+ and serine/ threonine kinases that could stabilize C3b in fluid space
This indicates that strong inflammatory reactions could potentially activate CM systems
Which complement components are deficient in Immune complex disease?
C1q, C1s, or C1r2s2, C2, C4