For decades, the complement system has been recognized as an effector arm of the innate immunity system that contributes to the destruction of tumor cells. However, recent studies have challenged this paradigm by demonstrating that a complement component, the anaphylatoxin C5a, promotes the growth of malignant tumors in a mouse model of cervical carcinoma. The effect of C5a on tumor growth was ...

The incidence of males with an XYY chromosome complement in a maximum security hospital was found to be 3% (Jacobs et al., 1965). These males were exceptionally tall, and it was found that 1 in 3 of the men of over 6 ft. (183 cm.) in this hospital had an XYY chromosome constitution. This very high incidence in an over-6 ft. group was confirmed in a special hospital for the subnormal (Casey et a...

Circulating monocytes and tissue macrophages (Me) 1 secrete complement proteins and have distinct receptors for some of these secreted products. Although hepatocytes and possibly epithelial cells are major sources of plasma complement (1), Mcl synthesize C1 subcomponents (2, 3), C4 (4, 5), C2 (5-7) C5 (8), C3 (2, 8) and all the components of the alternative pathway and its control proteins (8)....