Deficiency of which component leads to severe, recurrent pyogenic sinus and respiratory tract infections?

Study for the NBME Immunology Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question includes hints and explanations. Prepare to excel!

Multiple Choice

Deficiency of which component leads to severe, recurrent pyogenic sinus and respiratory tract infections?

Explanation:
Deficiency of a central complement component that enables opsonization leads to poor clearance of encapsulated bacteria. When this component is lacking, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae aren’t efficiently coated with C3b, so phagocytes have trouble recognizing and ingesting them. That results in severe, recurrent infections of the sinuses and respiratory tract. The inflammatory signals driven by complement are also reduced, further weakening the response. Defects in the final membrane attack complex components mainly predispose to Neisseria infections rather than chronic sinopulmonary infections.

Deficiency of a central complement component that enables opsonization leads to poor clearance of encapsulated bacteria. When this component is lacking, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae aren’t efficiently coated with C3b, so phagocytes have trouble recognizing and ingesting them. That results in severe, recurrent infections of the sinuses and respiratory tract. The inflammatory signals driven by complement are also reduced, further weakening the response. Defects in the final membrane attack complex components mainly predispose to Neisseria infections rather than chronic sinopulmonary infections.

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