[Hereditary complement deficiency in Tunisian adults with purulent meningitis].

Inherited complement deficiency is a rare disease. It predisposes to autoimmune diseases, glomerulonephritis, angioedema, and meningococcal meningitis. A prospective study was conducted over five years.

[Hereditary complement C5 deficiency: study of 3 Tunisian adult cases and literature review].

Background: The complement system is one of the main effectors of both innate and adaptive immunity. Hereditary complement deficiency, mainly those of the terminal pathway (C5-C9), is at increased risk for septic meningitides particularly meningococcal ones.

Aim: to assess clinical and biochemical features of 3 Tunisian adults with C5 hereditary complement deficiency (C5D), with a familial study performed for two of them.