Abstract
Complement bridges the innate and adaptive immune systems, recognizing and eliminating microorganisms and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Perturbations in the complement cascade can be of profound clinical consequence, with dermatological associations including impaired control of infectious agents, predisposition to autoimmune disease (notably systemic lupus erythematosus) and hereditary and acquired angioedema. In this review, the authors describe the fundamentals of the complement cascade and discuss the clinical manifestations of defects in signaling in order to contextualize the rational testing of complement components and functional assays in dermatological practice.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.