Dear Colleague,

    On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I would like to invite you to participate in the XIX International Complement Workshop to be held at the San Paolo Palace Hotel in Palermo, Italy.

    The programme of the Workshop will be comprised of abstracts that reflect the most exciting advances in the molecular, biological, genetic and clinical aspects of Complement research.

    The date of the meeting is from Sunday, September the 22nd through Thursday, September the 26th, 2002. This is probably the most pleasant period of the year in Palermo, because the temperature is warm (25 - 28 °C), beaches are not crowded and the cultural life is buoyant.    

    Palermo, the capital of Sicily, was built over many centuries in a range of contrasting European and Arabic styles. The special beauty and exciting atmosphere of the city comes from the timeless spirit of its people.

    The XIX ICW will be held in memory of Melchiorre Brai, who originally promoted Palermo as the venue for the Workshop but prematurely died in July 2000.

    We are looking forward to seeing you in September 2002 in Palermo.

                                                Yours sincerely,

                                         Alfredo Salerno, M.D.

                                               Chairman of the Organizing Committee