Role of complement in the toxicity of dietary legumes

On the basis of in vivo data Jayne-Williams (1) has proposed that the toxicity of dietary legumes is due to their content of lectins which are immunosuppressive. On the basis of in vitro data with cultured lymphocytes (2), it is now proposed that ingested lectins bind to cell surfaces and cause autologous complement components to bind to and destroy immunologically competent cells. The hypothesis throws a possible light on the aetiology of favism and Whipple's disease.