Immune complex

After an antigen-antibody reaction, the immune complexes can be subject to any of a number of responses, including complement deposition, opsonization,[2] phagocytosis, or processing by proteases.

Red blood cells carrying CR1-receptors on their surface may bind C3b-coated immune complexes and transport them to phagocytes, mostly in liver and spleen, and return to the general circulation.

Immune complex deposition is a prominent feature of several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and Sjögren's syndrome.

[9] Immune complexes, particularly those made of IgG, also play a variety of roles in the activation and regulation of phagocytes, which include dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages.

Immune complexes bind to multiple type I FcγRs, which cluster on the cell surface and begin the ITAM signaling pathway.

Immune complexes bind to multiple type I FcγRs, which cluster on the cell surface and begin the Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-Based Activation Motif (ITAM) signaling pathway.

[12] ITAM is composed of tyrosine which is separated from a leucine or isoleucine by two other amino acids and is located in the cytoplasmic tail of the molecule.