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The role of complement in inflammation and adaptive immunity
Author(s) -
Barrington Robert,
Zhang Ming,
Fischer Michael,
Carroll Michael C.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
immunological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.839
H-Index - 223
eISSN - 1600-065X
pISSN - 0105-2896
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-065x.2001.1800101.x
Subject(s) - complement receptor , biology , complement system , complement (music) , immunology , acquired immune system , inflammation , complement deficiency , immunity , alternative complement pathway , antibody , classical complement pathway , innate immune system , immune system , gene , genetics , phenotype , complementation
Summary: Major advances in our understanding of the immunobiology of complement were made within the past 5 years primarily due to the development of gene‐targeting technology. New strains of mice bearing specific deficiencies in serum complement proteins or their receptors were developed using this approach. Characterization of these mice has provided new and exciting insights into the biology of the complement system. In this review, we discuss recent results on two important aspects of the complement system, i) host protection and inflammation, and ii) regulation of B lymphocytes of adaptive immunity. While these two roles appear distinct, they are linked. We discuss how natural antibody and classical pathway complement work together in host protection against bacterial infection on the one hand but, on the other, they co‐operate to induce inflammation as observed in reperfusion injury. Significantly, the lymphocytes that produce natural antibody, the B‐1 lymphocytes, are regulated in part by the complement system. We thank current and past members of the lab who contributed to the work. We especially thank Drs A. Prodeus and R. Reid. The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health to M.C.C. R.B. is supported by a fellowship from the American Arthritis Foundation.