Circulating immunocomplexes in the diagnosis of autoimmune and neoplastic disorders: new perspectives

Two new competitive immunoenzymatic assays ("C.I.C.-conglutinin" and "C.I.C.-C1q") were employed to evaluate circulating immunocomplexes in 90 patients with a variety of autoimmune and neoplastic disorders. In autoimmune diseases the assays appeared very sensitive and relatively concordant, while in malignancies sensitivity was high with the C.I.C.-conglutinin method but much lower with the C.I.C.-C1q method. The clinical significance of these results is discussed with particular regard to the possibilities of application of the two assays in the diagnostic routine of a general hospital laboratory.