Expanding the Role of Complement Therapies: The Case for Lupus Nephritis.

ABSTRACT: The complement system is an innate immune surveillance network that provides defense against microorganisms and clearance of immune complexes and cellular debris and bridges innate and adaptive immunity. In the context of autoimmune disease, activation and dysregulation of complement can lead to uncontrolled inflammation and organ damage, especially to the kidney. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by loss of tolerance, autoantibody production, and immune complex deposition in tissues including the kidney, with inflammatory consequences. Effective clearance of immune complexes and cellular waste by early complement components protects against the development of lupus nephritis, while uncontrolled activation of complement, especially the alternative pathway, promotes kidney

SUBMITTER: Li NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7915321 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature