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Complement System

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Encyclopedia of Parasitology
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This system comprises in humans about 30 proteins, which are included in the blood plasma and which serve as unspecific defense system against penetrated agents of diseases. These proteins support the immune system in the recognition of the invaders and stimulate it to produce relevant antibodies (e.g., immunoglobulins). During an infection such complements were concentrated at reaction sites, where inflammation processes have started and would be fatal, if not regulated by a control system.

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Correspondence to Heinz Mehlhorn .

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Mehlhorn, H. (2015). Complement System. In: Mehlhorn, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parasitology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4140-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27769-6_4140-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27769-6

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