Role of complement in inflammation and injury in the nervous system

The complement (C) system plays important roles in host defence but activation at inappropriate sites or to an excessive degree can cause host tissue damage. C has been implicated as a factor in the causation or propagation of tissue injury in numerous diseases. The brain is an immunologically isolated site, sheltered from circulating cells and proteins of the immune system; nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence implicating C in numerous brain diseases. In this brief article we review the evidence suggesting a role for C in diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system and discuss the possible sources of C at these sites. Some brain cells synthesise C and also express specific receptors; some are exquisitely sensitive to the lytic effects of C. The evidence suggests that C synthesis and activation in the brain are important in immune defence at this site but may also play a role in brain disease.