Biomarker Predicts Lupus Nephritis FlaresC4d more accurate than conventional complement C3 and C4

[PMRpro]

This popped up in my inbox today - thought you might be interested:

medpagetoday.com/rheumatolo...

[Melba1]

Thank you, that’s very interesting. I have been researching complement activation as the problem is that even very senior consultants in other specialisms (other than rheumatology) don’t really understand what it means so we need to understand it to explain to them!

I wonder if many hospitals have the test for C4d? In a recent big flare my total complement (CH100) was very low so we needed to find out which part was causing it as they only usually test C3 and C4 (and my C3 was fine, C4 low but not enough to have caused almost no total levels) but the hospital (a big reputable one) doesn’t have a test for C2 so I suspect C4d wouldn’t be an option in many hospitals?

[PMRpro in reply to Melba1]

Possibly only research-orientated places I'd suspect or hospitals with a big immunology department.