
The binding of the antibody and the antigen is not plenty sometimes to give an efficacious protection against the encroacher agent; that is why it is necessary the complementary action of other elements of the immunologic system able to neutralize or advance the neutralisation of the foreign agent.
Complement system is a set of proteins that organise a biochemical cascade which participates in the immunologic mechanisms of the body. This system, several times, move complementary ( and as consequence ) of the antigen-antibody interaction, but some times can even move independently of the action of antibodies.
The proteins that organize this system are principally protease in descriptor of zymogens, that when the mechanism is originated, are actuate and clean-cut defense that include a broad orbit of actions, from the activation of phagocytosis to the lysis of foreign cells. Other complement proteins enactment as cofactors while others move as inhibitors.
Most of the proteins that organize the complement system are synthesise in the liver. Complement proteins organize about 5 % -10 % of plasm globulins. They are constituents of the acute stage response and their concentration in blood is increased during infections, hurts, and traumas. Most of these proteins are called with a C missive and a figure that was depute in the order that they were found.
The maps of the complement system include:
1. - Cell lysis
2. - Stimulation of phagocytosis through opsonisation.
3. - Attraction of phagocytic cells through chemotaxis
4. - Share to the inflammatory and allergy, by exciting degranulation and release of intracellular enzymes, histamine, etc.
5. - Facilitation of immune complex riddance.
Activation of the complement system can occurs through any of the undermentioned mechanisms:
1. - Classic complement tract.
2. - Option tract
3. - Mannose-binding Lectine tract.
In the classical activation tract, the antigen-antibody interaction fires allosteric modifications in the Ig that exposes, in the invariant part 2 the heavy concatenations ( HC2 ), a binding site for C1q, a protein of the complement system. The binding ( and subsequent activation ) of C1q to the unvarying part of the heavy concatenations trips two other proteins of the complement system: C1s and C1r. C1s is a serine proteinase which moves on C4; when C4 is trigger, C4 enactments on C2. The active fragments of C4 and C2 organise the complex C3 convertase, which hydrolyses C3. ( C1q can be trigger too by mycoplasms, bacterial endotoxins, RNA virus, and some membranes, in the absence of antibodies )
When C3 is spark the sign is highly magnified, since C3 is the most abundant protein of the complement system, and it can experiment too self-activation. The C3 B deducted from C3 binds to glycoproteins in the cell surface. Since macrophages and neutrophile hold C3b receptors, they recognise the cells covered with C3b and phagocyte them.
Another component of C3b binds to C5 organise a composite that is hydrolysed by C3 convertase ( aka C3/C5 convertase ).This hydrolysis produce C5a, which pulls neutrophile, and C5b. C5b organize a composite in the cellular membrane with C6, C7 and C8. This complex usher the polymerisation of around 15 molecules of C9, to organise a pore that travels through the membrane lipid bilayer of the foreign cell, permiting the transition of ions and little molecules, and kindling the cell lysis. This complement composite is named the Complement Membrane Onset Composite ( Mackintosh ).
The undermentioned picture demoes a version of this procedure:

The substitute tract happens in the absence of the antigen: antibody composite. Usually, a certain amount of C3 is spontaneously hydrolysed relinquishing 3a and 3b. In normal conditions, 3b is demobilized, but in the presence of bacteriums, or encroacher corpuscles or molecules ( virus, fungus, bacteriums, parasites, snake 's venoms, or Ig Angstrom ) 3b can stick to the bacteriums membrane and interact with other plasm protein, Factor Bacillus, organizing a C3bB composite. This composite, when hydrolysed by another protein ( Factor Viosterol ) relinquishes Ba and goes a C3bBb composite, with C3/C5 convertase activity. This complex triggers subterraneous modifications that fire the formation of the Membrane Onset composite and the encroacher cell lysis. ( Some proteins, Factor H and fibrinogen subdue C3 convertase, while properdin stabilise C3 convertase active conformation )

A 3rd descriptor of complement activation is the Mannose-binding Lectine tract. Therein tract, the Mannose-Binding Lectine ( MBL ), a serum protein that is able to colligate to mannose and other monosaccharoses in the glycolipids and glycoproteins of the surface of the encroacher cells, organise a composite with two serine proteinases zymogens ( Mannose-binding lectin Associated Serine Proteases ) MASP-I and MASP-II. When the MBL adheres to the oligosaccharides on the bacteriums, virus and fungus surface, the serine proteinases ensue tripped and hydrolyse C4 and C2 proteins, triggering the complement cascade.
It makes not weigh which activation mechanism is utilise, the three of them meet in the formation of a composite with C3 convertase activity, formation of C3b and the progression of the cascade that culminates with the foreign cell lysis.

Even when different texts differ in some specific points, the fact is that the complement system main mappings include:
1.- Opsonisation ( labelling foreign cells for phagocytosis;e.g. C3b )
2.- Chemotaxis ( attraction of neutrophile to the encroacher agent;e.g. C5a )
3.- Lysis of encroacher cells ( Ex-husband C5, C6, C7, C8, and C9 )
4.- Bringing to the inflammatory and allergic response, by exciting cell degranulation and release of enzymes, histamine, and other substances ( Effects of C3a, C4a, C5a )
5.- Further the riddance of immune composites ( Ex-husband. C3b )
This picture resumes the mechanism of action of the complement system ( some little items are different; make not care about that and pay attending to the large ikon ):

Complement system disfunction is associated to some diseases, like gotten or innate shortfall of single complement ingredients. In these diseases, the patient demoes an increased susceptibleness to Neisseria or pyogenic infections.
There is besides an important association between the want of complement factors and immunologic diseases of the type of Sle, and other collagen and vascular diseases, likewise as with some instances of chronic nephritis, atrophedema, etc.
Extra info can be chance in the undermentioned links:
Complement System
Complement Membrane Attack Complex
Moore, Tocopherol:
Complement Lacks.
When the immune system has inadequate levels of Complement proteins
Gupta, R; Agraharkar, M:
Complement Related Disorders
Chaganti, Krypton et aluminium:
Complement Deficiencies
Glovski, M et aluminum:
Complement determinations in human disease
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