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Related Concept Videos

Complement System01:27

Complement System

The complement system is a group of approximately 20 plasma proteins that strengthen the body's defenses against infections through opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis. Opsonization involves coating pathogens with complement proteins, making them more recognizable and facilitating phagocyte engulfment. Certain complement proteins induce inflammation that attracts immune cells to the site of infection. Cell lysis involves the destruction of pathogens through the formation of a membrane...
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Immune-Complex Reactions01:19

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Immune-Complex Reactions

Type III hypersensitivity reactions occur when antigen–antibody complexes form and activate the complement system. Normally, these complexes help the clearance of antigens by phagocytes and red blood cells. However, when large numbers of immune complexes are present, they can deposit in tissues—particularly in the walls of blood vessels—leading to inflammation and tissue injury. These deposits trigger complement activation and neutrophil recruitment, resulting in serum sickness, a systemic...
Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions01:01

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Cytolytic Reactions

Type II hypersensitivity involves IgG and IgM antibodies targeting cell surface antigens, leading to cell destruction. This can occur through complement activation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), or acting as opsonins for phagocytosis. When excessive, these reactions cause significant tissue damage.Drug-induced hemolytic anemia is a common example, where drugs like penicillin or cephalosporins bind to red blood cells, forming drug-protein complexes. These complexes...
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology01:26

Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology

Bacterial meningitis typically begins when pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonize the nasopharynx and invade the bloodstream. This process is facilitated by bacterial virulence factors, such as polysaccharide capsules, which resist phagocytosis and complement-mediated killing. Less commonly, bacteria reach the central nervous system via contiguous spread from infections like otitis media or sinusitis, through congenital or acquired dural defects, or...
Antimicrobial Proteins01:23

Antimicrobial Proteins

Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects01:25

Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects

Acute inflammation produces a coordinated set of local and systemic changes that limit injury, eliminate pathogens, and initiate repair. These responses arise within minutes of infection, trauma, or chemical insult and are driven by vascular alterations and leukocyte-derived mediators. When the stimulus resolves, the reaction typically abates within days.Local EffectsAt the site of injury, arteriolar vasodilation increases blood flow, resulting in redness and warmth. Simultaneously, increased...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Measuring the 50% Haemolytic Complement (CH50) Activity of Serum
08:26

Measuring the 50% Haemolytic Complement (CH50) Activity of Serum

Published on: March 29, 2010

Complement split products c3a and c4a in chronic lyme disease.

R B Stricker1, V R Savely, N C Motanya

  • 1International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, Bethesda, MD, USA. rstricker@usmamed.com

Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
|January 15, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Complement split product C4a is elevated in chronic Lyme disease patients with musculoskeletal symptoms. C4a levels correlate with treatment response, indicating its value as an immunologic marker for persistent Lyme disease.

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Last Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Measuring the 50% Haemolytic Complement (CH50) Activity of Serum
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Published on: March 29, 2010

Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
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Simultaneous Detection of Different Antibody Classes in a Multiplexed Serological Test
05:25

Simultaneous Detection of Different Antibody Classes in a Multiplexed Serological Test

Published on: July 14, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Rheumatology

Background:

  • Complement split products C3a and C4a are elevated in acute Lyme disease.
  • Investigating these markers in chronic Lyme disease is crucial for understanding disease progression and treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare C3a and C4a levels in chronic Lyme disease patients with healthy controls, SLE, and AIDS patients.
  • To determine the correlation of these markers with disease symptoms, treatment response, and diagnostic imaging (SPECT).

Main Methods:

  • Radioimmunoassay was used to measure C3a and C4a levels.
  • Study included 445 chronic Lyme disease patients, 29 healthy controls, 11 SLE patients, and 6 AIDS patients.
  • Lyme patients were categorized by predominant musculoskeletal or neurologic symptoms.

Main Results:

  • Chronic Lyme disease patients with musculoskeletal symptoms showed normal C3a and elevated C4a levels.
  • Elevated C4a levels in chronic Lyme disease correlated with lack of response to antibiotic therapy.
  • C4a levels decreased with successful antibiotic treatment, unlike persistently elevated levels in AIDS patients.

Conclusions:

  • C4a is a valuable immunologic marker for persistent Lyme disease, particularly in patients with musculoskeletal symptoms.
  • C4a levels and their changes during treatment can help assess therapeutic response in chronic Lyme disease.
  • The distinct C3a and C4a profiles differentiate chronic Lyme disease from acute Lyme disease and other autoimmune/infectious conditions.