The Complement System: Basic Science And Clinical Relevance

As part of the innate immune system, the complement system is permanently available and therefore invaluable in the pre-immune phase before the adaptive immune response with the generation of antibodies and T cells develops its full effect. Due to its crucial involvement in the pathophysiology of various disorders, complement is of particular clinical importance. For the elucidation of complement defects and dys-regulations but also for the early detection of life-threatening events, like the development of a multiple organ failure after severe trauma, burns or sepsis, and for the assessment of a therapeutic success, a modern complement diagnostics is nowadays indispensable. With this review article we want to draw a line from the basics of the complement system, its clinical relevance and the diagnostic approach to current strategies of a targeted therapy.