The term "immunodeficiency diseases" (synonym: immunodeficiency syndromes) covers various diseases of the immune system that are characterized by a temporary or irreversible disturbance of the immune function. Congenital or primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are diseases in which the immunodeficiency is congenital, occurs in families and/or can be inherited. The PID group is contrasted with diseases and referred to by the generic term "secondary or acquiredimmunodeficiencies", in which the immunodeficiency has been acquired. The best-known example of this is AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
One of the developmentally oldest components of the immune system is the complement system. Strictly regulated, similar to a coagulation cascade, especially encapsulated germs (e.g. meningococci) can be perforated and killed by complement factors, among others. Complement is also involved in the regulation of immune responses and the elimination of immune complexes. This explains the favored occurrence of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or other autoimmune diseases in the case of defects of the immune system. Defects of the complement cascade C1 to C9 are described for all proteins with immunological disorders. In the lectin activation pathway, there are described deficiencies of the Mann-binding lectin (MBL), among others.
Defects of different regulatory proteins within the complement activation pathway lead to very different diseases. These include hereditary angioedema and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).