Establishment of a method for measuring total complement activity based on a hemolysis system using own red blood...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Biochemistry
• Immunology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of total complement activity (TCA) is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions.
• Existing methods for TCA assessment may lack simplicity or stability for routine clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a straightforward and reliable colorimetric assay for quantifying plasma total complement activity.
• To compare the performance of the new method with a conventional assay (CH50).
• To assess TCA levels in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Main Methods:

• A novel self-hemolysis colorimetric method was developed using human red blood cells (RBCs) and rabbit-anti-human RBC antibody.
• Total complement activity (TCA) was measured in plasma samples from healthy individuals and ICU patients.
• The new method was compared against the classical CH50 assay.

Main Results:

• The novel colorimetric method demonstrated a significant correlation with the CH50 assay.
• Plasma total complement activity (TCA) was found to be significantly reduced in ICU patients compared to healthy controls.
• The new method proved to be simple and stable for TCA measurement.

Conclusions:

• The self-hemolysis colorimetric method provides a simple, stable, and potentially valuable tool for clinical assessment of total complement activity.
• Lower TCA levels in ICU patients suggest a role for complement system dysregulation in critical illness.
• This assay has potential for routine clinical application in evaluating complement function.