Recent studies implicate inflammation and complement mediated attack as early events in
drusen biogenesis. The investigations described here sought to determine whether primary
sites of complement activation could be identified within drusen substructure, and whether
known inhibitors of the terminal pathway of complement are present in drusen and/or retinal
pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells that lie in close proximity to drusen. Immunohistochemical
examination shows two fluid phase regulators of the terminal pathway, vitronectin (Vn, S …