Functional Hemolytic Test for Complement Alternative Pathway Convertase Activity

The complement system is a key part of innate immunity. However, if the system becomes dysregulated, damage to healthy host cells can occur, especially to the glomerular cells of the kidney. The convertases of the alternative pathway of the complement system play a crucial role in complement activation. In healthy conditions, their activity is strictly regulated. In patients with diseases caused by complement alternative pathway dysregulation, such as C3 glomerulopathy and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, factors can be present in the blood that disturb this delicate balance, leading to convertase overactivity. Such factors include C3 nephritic factors, which are autoantibodies against the C3 convertase that prolong its activity, or genetic variants resulting in a stabilized convertase complex. This chapter describes a method in which the activity and stability of the alternative pathway convertases can be measured to detect aberrant serum factors causing convertase overactivity.