COMPLEMENT SYSTEM
Dr. Mohit Bhatia
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology
AIIMS, Rishikesh
COMPLEMENT BASICS
Cooperate with antibodies to eliminate bacteria,
viruses, and other pathogens
A complex group of about 16 different plasma
proteins that work together to lyse their targets
Prevent the lysis of normal host cells by
pathogens
It operates as a cascade mechanism, just like the
blood-clotting system
This sequential activation usually occurs by
proteolysis
COMPLEMENT BASICS
• Amplification
• Factors produced by liver as zymogens
• Different pathways converge onto C3
• C3 is complement factor of highest serum
concentration (1.2 mg/ml)
• Complement proteins account for 10% of
serum proteins(3-4g/l)
• Since each successive
component of the
It ensures a complement system is an
substantial enzyme that can act on many
different substrates, this
amplification of an system of successive
initial response. enzymatic steps gives a great
increase in the size of the
response.
This pathway can be • This is essential because the
fairly easily C (complement) system is, as
controlled in its we’ll see, very destructive,
and if it could be activated
early stages by easily and spontaneously, it
inhibitors of would cause considerable
harm to the organism.
enzymatic activity.
Three complement activation pathways
CLASSICAL PATHWAY
C1qr2s2 COMPLEX
ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY
SUMMARY OF COMPLEMENT
PATHWAYS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC VIEW OF COMPLEMENT
MEDIATED LYSIS OF BACTERIA
REGULATION OF COMPLEMENT
SYSTEM
FATE OF BOUND C3b & C4b
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF COMPLEMENT
SYSTEM
PHAGOCYTOSIS
SOLUBILIZATION
OF IMMUNE
COMPLEXES
MICROBIAL EVASION OF
COMPLEMENT MEDIATED LYSIS
COMPLEMENT DEFICIENCIES
Hereditary angioneurotic edema
Deficiency of C1INH
Autosomal dominant
Recurrent episodes of
edema in the skin, GI
tract, UG tract, and larynx
Abdominal, pelvic pain,
suffocation
Type I AND Type II
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Intermittent intravascular hemolysis
Defect of both CD59 and DAF (Glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol
anchored proteins)
Pig-A gene on X chromosome is involved
Alternate pathway is activated on host erythrocytes which leads to
hemolysis
Characterized by hemolysis,pancytopenia and venous thrombosis
Death occurs due to hepatic vein thrombosis and bone marrow
dysfunction
COMPLEMENT FIXATION TEST
OTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
EMPLOYING COMPLEMENT
• Treponema pallidum Immobilization test (TPI)
• Sabin-Feldman dye test
• Vibriocidal antibody test
THANK
YOU!