The damaging effects of cardiopulmonary bypass are, to a large degree, due to activation of the humoral amplification system. The humoral amplification system includes which of the following?

E. A, B, and C.

DISCUSSION: Cardiopulmonary bypass stimulates a whole-body inflammatory response, and the concentrations of several inflammatory mediators (e.g., complement fraction C5a) have been associated with subsystem dysfunction following cardiopulmonary bypass. This inflammatory response is complex and has several arms, including the coagulation, fibrinolytic, and complement systems. Simply blocking one pathway is unlikely to completely prevent bypass-induced injury.