Singhrao, S.K., Neal, J.W., Rushmere, N.K., Morgan, B.P., and Gasque, P.: Spontaneous classical pathway activation and deficiency of membrane regulators render human neurons susceptible to complement lysis. Am. J. Pathol. 2000, 157:905–918.
Smith, G.P., and Smith, R.A.: Membrane-targeted complement inhibitors. Mol. Immunol. 2001, 38:249–255.
Spencer, K.L., Hauser, M.A., Olson, L.M., Schmidt, S., Scott, W.K., Gallins, P., Agarwal, A., Postel, E.A., Pericak-Vance, M.A., and Haines, J.L.: Protective effect of complement factor B and complement component 2 variants in age-related macular degeneration. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2007, 16:1986–1992.
Spencer, K.L., Olson, L.M., Anderson, B.M., Schnetz-Boutaud, N., Scott, W.K., Gallins, P., Agarwal, A., Postel, E.A., Pericak-Vance, M.A., and Haines, J.L.: C3 R102G polymorphism increases risk of age-related macular degeneration. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2008, 17:1821–1824.
2-17 Pathogens produce several types of proteins that can inhibit complement activation.
Blom, A.M., Rytkonen, A., Vasquez, P., Lindahl, G., Dahlback, B., and Jonsson, A.B.: A novel interaction between type IV pili of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the human complement regulator C4B-binding protein. J. Immunol. 2001, 166:6764–6770.
Serruto, D., Rappuoli, R., Scarselli, M., Gros, P., and van Strijp, J.A.: Molecular mechanisms of complement evasion: learning from staphylococci and meningococci. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2010, 8:393–399.
The Induced Responses of Innate Immunity
In Chapter 2 we introduced the innate defenses—such as epithelial barriers, secreted antimicrobial proteins, and the complement system—that act immediately upon encounter with microbes to protect the body from infection. We also introduced the phagocytic cells that lie beneath the epithelial barriers and stand ready to engulf and digest invading microorganisms that have been flagged for destruction by complement. These phagocytes also initiate the next phase of the innate immune response, inducing an inflammatory response that recruits new phagocytic cells and circulating effector molecules to the site of infection. In this chapter we describe how phagocytic cells of the innate immune system detect microbes or the cellular damage they cause, how they destroy these pathogens, and how they orchestrate downstream inflammatory responses through production of cytokines and chemokines (chemoattractant cytokines). We also introduce other cells of the innate immune system—a diverse array of specialized innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) including the natural killer cells (NK cells)—that contribute to innate host defenses against viruses and other intracellular pathogens. Also in this stage of infection dendritic cells initiate adaptive immune responses, so that if the infection is not cleared by innate immunity, a full immune response will ensue.
Pattern recognition by cells of the innate immune system.