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Anaphylatoxins

The family of peptides c3a, c4a, c5a, and c5a des-arginine produced in the serum during complement activation. They produce smooth muscle contraction, mast cell histamine release, affect platelet aggregation, and act as mediators of the local inflammatory process. The order of anaphylatoxin activity from strongest to weakest is c5a, c3a, c4a, and c5a des-arginine. The latter is the so-called classical anaphylatoxin but shows no spasmogenic activity though it contains some chemotactic ability.