How Is the Process of Complement Activation?

Introduction

Complement system is a system of serum and cell surface proteins that interact with one another and with other molecules of the immune system to generate important effectors of innate and adaptive immune responses.

The complement system works by producing three effects:
- inflammation
- opsonization (attachment of certain complement proteins to microbial cell wall to target the microbe for phagocytosis)
- cell lysis (preferably microbes)

The complement system consists of three players:

- the complement proteins
plasma proteins that function as effectors of the complement system
- the receptors
proteins embedded in a cell surface that enable certain complement proteins to bind the cell
- the regulators
proteins that can alter the course of complement activation

To explain the process of complement activation, we will only discuss the complement proteins.

Can Hematocrit and Hemoglobin Level Be Used to Assess a Patient’s Hydration Status?

A popular way to determine a patient’s hydration status is by comparing the patient’s hematocrit and hemoglobin level. A patient is said to have fluid loss when the hematocrit is higher than the hemoglobin level multiplied by three (Ht > Hb x ±3). The question is can hematocrit and hemoglobin level be used in that manner?

How Long Does a Conventional Culture Test Take?

A culture test is used to identify microorganisms from a specimen. A specimen can contain up to several microorganisms. After the specimen reaches the lab, a conventional culture test can be divided into two stages:
1. Separating each microorganism
2. Identifying each microorganism