A Study Of Complement and Immune Complexes In Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Their Value In Monitoring Disease Activity

Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) were studied for immune complexes (IC) and complement levels. These tests were carried out sequentially during active and inactive stages of disease over a period of one and a half year. The Clq binding assay (C1qBA) and detection of cryoglobulins were much more sensitive method of detecting IC (72% & 78% of cases respectively) than the monoclonal Rheumatoid Factor binding assay (mRFBA) (50%) during the disease activity (83% & 84% of cases respectively). These was an inverse relationship between levels of CH50, CA and immune complexes in a small group of patients. The other sub group either had a rise in immune complexes levels or a fall in complement levels with disease activity.