A hemolytic assay for the measurement of equine complement

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Immunology
• Complement System Biology

Background:

• The equine complement system plays a crucial role in innate immunity.
• Accurate measurement of functional complement activity is essential for diagnosing immune deficiencies and monitoring disease.
• Existing assays for equine complement activity have limitations in sensitivity and reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel, sensitive hemolytic assay for measuring functional equine classical pathway complement activity.
• To establish a reproducible method for assessing total serum complement (CH50) in horses.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hemolytic assay using antibody-sensitized chicken erythrocytes as target cells.
• Specificity testing for classical pathway (antibody-dependent) complement activity.
• Determination of total serum complement (CH50) values in five mares and their foals over three months.

Main Results:

• The developed assay demonstrated high reproducibility and sensitivity for measuring equine complement activity.
• The assay specifically detected classical pathway complement function.
• Baseline CH50 values were established for the studied mares and foals, with observed temporal variations.

Conclusions:

• A novel and sensitive hemolytic assay for equine classical pathway complement activity has been successfully developed.
• This assay offers a reliable tool for research and clinical applications in equine immunology.
• Further studies can utilize this assay to investigate complement function in various equine health conditions.