New developments in immunopathology with special reference to complement and immune complexes

The last few years have seen rapid advances in our understanding of immune phenomena, and these are now being translated into a new understanding of immunopathology. This paper reviews a number of areas where important new knowledge has been gained in the area of complement and immune complexes as a cause of disease. An understanding of the role of the metabolism of complement proteins has led to an understanding of how these proteins interact with receptors to cause phagocytosis. New understanding of the lysis-producing steps has led to new diagnostic tests for complement-induced damage as well as new knowledge of how complement functions to kill microorganisms. New methods for purifying anaphylatoxins have made these proteins available for study in man. A model of serum sickness in man has allowed for the more detailed understanding of how immune complexes cause disease and has led to the appreciation of new clinical signs of immune-complex-mediated disease in man.