Which type of leukocytes are associated with products of the complement cascade and can cause osmotic lysis of targeted microbes, leading to the release of cytotoxic products for epithelial cells?

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Neutrophils, or PMNs, are the leukocytes most closely linked to the products of the complement cascade. When complement is activated, C3b coats microbes to promote opsonization and C5a draws neutrophils to the site. Neutrophils then phagocytose the opsonized organisms and release cytotoxic granule contents and reactive oxygen species to kill them. This rapid degranulation and oxidative burst can also injure nearby epithelial cells, explaining why cytotoxic products can affect surrounding tissue. Lymphocytes are part of adaptive immunity, monocytes/macrophages work in phagocytosis and antigen presentation but are not the primary immediate responders to complement-mediated lysis, and eosinophils are more involved in antiparasite defenses and allergic responses rather than the main complement-driven microbial destruction.