The complement system in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity583 @entity1066 @entity1188 @entity19411 @entity741 @entity731 @entity165
Complement is a term referring to a collection of plasma proteins, specific cellular receptors and cell surface regulatory molecules. Activation of the complement system to completion results in the formation of C5b-9 terminal complexes. These complexes have been observed in @entity1 @entity731 by immunohistochemistry. Although the structure(s) which activate complement in lesions have not been defined, @entity165 and @entity19411 exhibit this property in vitro. Endothelial cell damage leads to complement activation and endothelial cells overlying @entity731 have been observed to contain C3 and C5b-9 antigens. Cardiac myocytes stain for complement proteins (C3, C4 and C5b-9) following @entity583 . @entity1188 size and extent of inflammatory cell infiltrates are diminished by decomplementation prior to experimentally-induced @entity741 . Following @entity583 and @entity1066 of @entity731 in @entity1 @entity1 there is an increase in circulating complement activation products and a decrease in the level of native C1 through C4 proteins. Thus, it appears that complement plays a role in atherogenesis and its sequelae. Little is known however, about the pathophysiological effects complement activation products exert on lesion development, for example through modulation of macrophage functions, or how complement activation is regulated in lesions. Implications for complement in atherogenesis are discussed.
