Which of the following best denotes classical complement pathway activation in immune inflammatory condition?
In the classic pathway, antigen-antibody complexes activate C1 to form a protease, which cleaves C2 and C4 to form a C4b,2b complex. The latter is C3 convease, which cleaves C3 molecules into two fragments, C3a and C3b. Because the immune complex activation involves the classical components, C4, C2, and C3, their serum concentration decreases. Ref: Levinson W. (2012). Chapter 63. Complement. In W. Levinson (Ed), Review of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, 12e.
C2, C4 and C3 decreased
C2 and C4 normal, C3 is decreased
C3 normal and C2, C4 decreased
C2, C4, C3 all are elevated