C4A and fibrosis: C4a, a cleavage product of C4 that contrasts with C3a and C5a with regard to biologic function, was reported to be negatively correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis in children with chronic HCV infection, serum levels being significantly lower in HCV children with advanced fibrosis than those with no/mild fibrosis (25); the significance of this study, however, was limited by the low numbers of HCV-infected children, and the fact that C4a may increase as a function of classical pathway activation and C4 consumption.