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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Methods for Quantitative Detection of Antibody-induced Complement Activation on Red Blood Cells
Published on: January 29, 2014
[A comparative study of serum complement (C3 and C4) in inflammatory joint diseases]
Insights
Complement fractions C3 and C4 are elevated in inflammatory joint diseases, correlating with other acute phase reactants. These findings suggest C3 and C4 can serve as valuable acute phase indices for diagnosing and monitoring arthritis conditions.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Rheumatology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Inflammatory joint diseases involve complex immune responses.
- Acute phase reactants are crucial biomarkers for inflammation.
- The role of complement fractions in various arthritic conditions requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the levels of complement fractions (C3 and C4) and other acute phase reactants in patients with diverse inflammatory joint diseases.
- To assess the correlation between complement fractions and established acute phase indices.
- To determine the potential utility of C3 and C4 as acute phase reactants in rheumatology.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative analysis of complement fractions (C3, C4), haptoglobin, fibrinogen, alpha 1-glycoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin, and transferrin.
- Study population included 692 patients with various inflammatory joint diseases and 60 healthy controls.
- Comparison of marker levels in active and non-active disease phases.
Main Results:
- Elevated levels of complement fractions C3 and C4 were observed across most patient groups and disease phases.
- Significant positive correlations were found between C3, C4, and other acute phase indices.
- A clear hierarchy of acute phase reactivity was established, with fibrinogen and haptoglobin being the most reactive, followed by alpha 1-glycoprotein, C3, C4, alpha 2-macroglobulin, and transferrin.
Conclusions:
- Complement fractions C3 and C4 demonstrate significant elevations in inflammatory joint diseases.
- C3 and C4 exhibit strong correlations with other established acute phase reactants.
- C3 and C4 can be considered valuable additions to the panel of acute phase reacting indices for assessing inflammatory arthritis.
Abstract:
The third and the fourth fraction of the complement (C3 and C4), haptoglobin, fibrinogen, alpha 1-glycoprotein, alpha 2-macroglobulin and transferrin were examined in 692 patients with inflammatory joint disease--rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Reiter's syndrome, sacroiliitis [correction of sacroileitis], reactive arthritis, gout, osteoarthrosis and nosologically undefined arthritis in active or nonactive phase and in 60 healthy controls. The complement fractions studied show an increase of various degree and importance in almost all groups of patients in both phases studied. The relations between the complement fractions and the other acute phase indices show significant correlations between them and the other acute phase indices. C3 and to a certain degree C4 could be added to the acute phase reacting indices. Their place in the downgrade scale is as follows: fibrinogen, haptoglobin, alpha 1-glycoprotein, C3, C4, alpha 2-macroglobulin, transferrin.
