Decay-Accelerating Factor suppresses Complement C 3 activation and retards Atherosclerosis in Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Deficient Mice Short title : DAF protects from atherosclerosis

Vascular Science Section, National Heart and Lung Institute 1 , Division of Investigative Sciences 2 and the Molecular Genetics and Rheumatology Section, Division of Medicine 3 , Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK; University of Pennsylvania, Philadephia, USA 4 . † SY and VWYL are joint first authors * Corresponding author: Professor Dorian O. Haskard, Vascular Science Section, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK; Tel: +44 (0) 208 383 3064; Email: d.haskard@imperial.ac.uk