Significance of Complement Activation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Complement activation is a major inflammatory process whose primary functions are to assist in removing micro-organisms and cellular debris and processing of immune complexes. The complement system is composed of more than 30 plasma and membrane-associated proteins, accounting for approximately 10% of the globulins in vertebrate serum, which function as an inflammatory cascade. Complement can be activated by many factors, including immune complexes, polysaccharides (including lipopolysaccharide, the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria), and neuropathological structures such as senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and Lewy bodies.