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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Methods for Quantitative Detection of Antibody-induced Complement Activation on Red Blood Cells
Published on: January 29, 2014
Complement activation is involved in renal damage in human antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody associated
Guang-qun Xing1, Min Chen, Gang Liu
1Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital, Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China, Beijing 100034, China.
Objective:
This study was to investigate the evidence for complement activation in renal biopsy specimens of patients with myeloperoxidase (MPO)-antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated pauci-immune vasculitis.
Methods:
Renal biopsy specimens from seven patients with MPO-ANCA positive pauci-immune necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (NCGN) were used to detect the staining of membrane attack complex (MAC), C3d, C4d, mannose-binding lectin (MBL), factor B and factor P using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Renal tissue from seven patients with minimal change disease (MCD) and two normal renal tissue were used as controls.
Results:
MAC, C3d, factor B and factor P could be detected in glomeruli and small blood vessels with active vasculitis of patients with pauci-immune AAV, but not or scarcely in patients with MCD and in normal renal tissue. C3d and factor B co-localized with MAC, factor P colocalized with C3d. MBL and C4d were not detected in patients with AAV.
Conclusion:
The alternative pathway of the complement system is involved in renal damage of human pauci-immune AAV.
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