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Estimation of Functional Activity of Ionized Calcium for Complement System Reactivity Assessment
B B Shoibonov1, D V Grigor'eva, A A Shabalina
1P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia, shoibonov@mail.ru.
Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine
|July 25, 2015
Summary
A novel indicator assesses calcium (Ca2+) functional activity in human blood serum by measuring sheep erythrocyte lysis inhibition. This method helps determine normal, low, or high Ca2+ activity, aiding immune status evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Calcium ions (Ca2+) play a crucial role in various biological processes, including immune system function.
- Accurate assessment of functional calcium activity in human blood serum is essential for understanding immune status.
- Existing methods for evaluating calcium activity may not fully capture its functional role in immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a new indicator for assessing the functional activity of calcium (Ca2+) in human blood serum.
- To establish reference ranges for high, normal, and low functional Ca2+ activity based on erythrocyte lysis inhibition.
- To explore the utility of this indicator in conjunction with other immune markers for comprehensive immune status estimation.
Main Methods:
- A novel assay was developed utilizing the lysis of sheep erythrocytes in the presence of human blood serum.
- The assay involves incubating sheep erythrocytes with serum under specific conditions (37°C for 10 min) and measuring lysis inhibition.
- Ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) was used to chelate calcium, and the degree of lysis inhibition was quantified.
Main Results:
- The developed method provides a quantitative measure of functional Ca2+ activity based on the percentage of sheep erythrocyte lysis inhibition.
- Defined thresholds indicate different levels of functional Ca2+ activity: <30% inhibition for high activity, 31-70% for normal activity, and >71% for low activity.
- Comparative studies integrating this Ca2+ activity assay with assessments of complement activation and heterophilic antibodies demonstrated potential for immune status evaluation.
Conclusions:
- The proposed indicator offers a reliable method for evaluating functional calcium activity in human blood serum.
- This assay contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the immune system's status by assessing a key ionic component.
- The integration of this functional Ca2+ activity assessment with other immunological parameters holds promise for improved diagnostics and health monitoring.
