Trends in Immunology
Volume 33, Issue 10, October 2012, Pages 513-521
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Review
The complotype: dictating risk for inflammation and infection

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2012.06.001Get rights and content
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Complement is a key component of immune defence against infection; it potently drives inflammation at sites of pathology and is essential for killing of pathogens. Genetic linkage of common complement polymorphisms to disease has advanced the concept that subtle changes in complement activity significantly affect disease risk. Functional analyses of disease-linked polymorphic variants demonstrate that, although individual polymorphisms cause only small changes in activity, when combined, the aggregate effects are large. The inherited set of common variants, the complotype, thus has a major impact on susceptibility to inflammatory and infectious diseases. Assessing the complotype of an individual will aid prediction of disease risk and inform intervention to reduce or eliminate risk.

Keywords

complement
complotype
inflammation
alternative pathway

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