C5a initiates the inflammatory cascade in immune complex peritonitis

Immune complex (IC)-induced inflammation is integral to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. ICs activate the complement system and interact with IgG FcgammaR. In this study, we demonstrate that activation of the complement system, specifically generation of C5a, initiates the neutrophilic inflammation in IC peritonitis. We show that ablation of C5a receptor signaling abrogates neutrophil recruitment in wild-type mice and prevents the enhancement of neutrophil migration seen in FegammaRIIB(-/-) mice, suggesting that C5aR signaling is the crucial initial event upstream of FcgammaR signaling. We also provide evidence that C5a initiates the inflammatory cascade both directly, through C5aR-mediated effector functions on infiltrating and resident peritoneal cells, and indirectly, through shifting the balance between activating and inhibitory FcgammaRs on resident cells toward an inflammatory phenotype. We conclude that complement activation and C5a generation are prerequisites for IC-induced inflammation through activating FcgammaR, which amplifies complement-induced inflammation in autoimmunity.