[Structure and function of complement protein C1q and its role in the development of autoimmune diseases]

Complement plays an important role in the immune system. Three different pathways of complement activation are known: the classical, alternative, and lectin dependent. They involve more than 30 serum peptides. C1q is the fi rst subcomponent of the classical pathway of complement activation.It is composed of three types of chains, A, B, and C, which form a molecule containing 18 peptides. Each of the chains has a short amino-terminal region followed by a collagen-like region(playing a role in the activation of C1r2C1s2) and a carboxy-terminal head, which binds to immune complexes. Recent studies have shown a great number of ligands for C1q, including aggregated IgG, IgM, human T-cell lymphotropic virus-I (HTLV-I), gp21 peptide, human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) gp21 peptide, beta-amyloid, fragments of bacterial walls, apoptotic cells, and many others. However, the role of C1q is not only associated with complement activation.It also helps in the removal of immune complexes and necrotic cells, stimulates the production of some cytokines, and modulates the function of lymphocytes. Complete C1q deficiency is a rare genetic disorder. The C1q gene is located on the short arm of chromosome 1. So far, only a few mutations in C1q gene have been reported. The presence of these mutations is strongly associated with recurrent bacterial infections and the development of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Recent clinical studies point to the significance of anti-C1q antibodies in the diagnosis and assessment of lupus nephritis activity.