Читать книгу Immunology - Richard Coico - Страница 94

The major functions of the complement system are summarized below and shown in Figures 4.6 and 4.7. Complement components interact with a wide range of cells that express specific receptors. The receptors fall into two broad categories: receptors that bind to C3b or C4b and their breakdown products; and receptors for the anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a (Table 4.2). (Distribution of the C4a receptor is not shown; it overlaps with the cellular distribution of the C3a receptor.) The receptors and cells that bind C3b, C4b, and their breakdown products are involved in responses that enhance phagocytosis of pathogens, and the receptors and cells that bind the anaphylatoxins are involved in inflammatory responses.

The three main functions of complement are shown in Figure 4.6 and described in the following sections.