Complement Factor H (CFH)

Factor H is a member of the regulators of complement activation family and is a complement control protein. It is a large (155 kilodaltons), soluble glycoprotein that circulates in human plasma (at a concentration of 500–800 micrograms per milliliter). Its main job is to regulate the Alternative Pathway of the complement system, ensuring that the complement system is directed towards pathogens and does not damage host tissue. Factor H regulates complement activation on self cells by possessing both cofactor activity for the Factor I mediated C3b cleavage, and decay accelerating activity against the alternative pathway C3 convertase, C3bBb. Factor H protects self cells from complement activation but not bacteria/viruses, in that it binds to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) that are present on host cells but not pathogen cell surfaces.