Description
CH50 is a screening test for total complement activity. Levels of complement may be depressed in genetic deficiency, liver disease, chronic glomerulonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, hemolytic anemias, graft rejection, systemic lupus erythematosis, acute glomerulonephritis, subacute bacterial endocarditis and cryoglobulinemia. Elevated complement may be found in acute inflammatory conditions, leukemia, Hodgkin`s Disease, sarcoma, and Behcet`s Disease.CH50 can be used to assess the integrity of the classical pathway of the immune system.Hence a total complement measurement, also known as a total hemolytic complement or a CH50 measurement, checks how well the complement system is functioning. This test is usually ordered for people with a family history of complement deficiency and those who have symptoms of: RA. kidney disease.
No fasting is required for the blood sample to be taken.The complement system is composed of more than 30 circulating blood proteins that work together to help antibodies fight off infections and destroy substances that are foreign to the body such as viruses, bacteria, and other germs. It’s also activated when the body makes antibodies against its own tissues that it views as foreign.A normal CH50 level indicates that all the components of the C1 through C9 are present; however, even in the presence of a normal CH50, the absolute levels of some complement components (eg, C3 or C4) can be significantly (50% to 80%) lower than normal without affecting CH50 activity. This is because normal serum contains C3 and C4 in substantial excess of that required to yield a normal result for CH50. Depletion of alternative factors is not detected. For this reason, it may be necessary to measure individual complement components.One CH50 unit is defined as the volume or dilution of serum that lyses 50% of erythrocytes in the reaction mixture.
The most common use of CH50 is to Evaluate and follow up SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) patient’s response to therapy; may predict disease flare in SLE; evaluate for complement component deficiency; evaluate complement activity in cases of immune complex disease, glomerulonephritis, rheumatoid arthritis, SBE, cryoglobulinemia. The CH50 assay mainly evaluates the classical pathway. Increased CH50 values may be seen in cancer or ulcerative colitis. Decreased CH50 values may be seen in cirrhosis or hepatitis or Systemic lupus erythematosus.
A CH50 test is used to help determine any protein abnormalities and deficiencies in the complement system.CH50 Blood Test is often ordered to evaluate complement component deficiency and evaluate complement activity in cases of immune complex disease, glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys’ filters), rheumatoid arthritis and cryoglobulinemia (abnormal proteins in the blood that thicken in cold temperatures). It can also be used to evaluate a patient’s response to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) therapy and predict disease flares.A total complement measurement, also known as a total hemolytic complement or a CH50 measurement, checks how well the complement system is functioning.
This test is usually ordered for people with a family history of complement deficiency and those who have symptoms of RA,kidney disease,lupus, which is a multisystem autoimmune disease,myasthenia gravis , meningitis,cryoglobulinemia, which is the presence of abnormal proteins in the blood.
