What is a C3 level?
Complement C3 is a blood test that measures the activity of a certain protein. This protein is part of the complement system. The complement system is a group of nearly 60 proteins that are in blood plasma or on the surface of some cells.
What is normal range for C3?
The normal range is 88 to 201 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (0.88 to 2.01 g/L). Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
What do high levels of C3 and C4 mean?
It seems that elevated C3 and C4 are likely to result of increased synthesis in the liver in response to cytokines e.g. IL-1β, IL-6 or tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which are increased in active CU and are known to control synthesis of the APR proteins [9].
What does a low C3 level mean?
Decreased C3 may be associated with acute glomerulonephritis, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, immune complex disease, active systemic lupus erythematosus, septic shock, and end-stage liver disease.
How is C3 activated?
The C3 protein is essential for turning on (activating) the complement system. The presence of foreign invaders triggers the C3 protein to be cut (cleaved) into two smaller pieces. One of these pieces, called C3b, interacts with several other proteins on the surface of cells to trigger the complement system’s response.
What causes high C3?
Your complement levels will often rise very high just after an infection or injury. When your complement system responds to ongoing disease such as lupus, levels usually go down. You can inherit a deficiency in your complement C3. But it’s much more common to acquire a deficiency.
Why is C3 low in lupus?
Lupus patients usually have low C3 and C4 levels during disease flares because of activation of the complement system by immune complexes (ICs) [1].
What are normal C3 and C4 levels?
The University Reference Laboratories normal range for C3 is 80–178 mg/dl, for C4 is 12–42 mg/dl, for CRP is 0.0–3.0 mg/l, and for ESR is 0–14 mm/h for males under 50 years old, 0–19 mm/h for females under 50 years old, 0–19 for males between 50 and 80 years old, and 0–29 mm/h for females between 50 and 80 years old.
How long does C3 blood test take?
Timing. You can expect to spend about 10 minutes at your C3 test procedure.
What is C3 inflammation?
C3. Complement C3 is a blood test that measures the activity of a certain protein. This protein is part of the complement system. The complement system is a group of nearly 60 proteins that are in blood plasma or on the surface of some cells.
Why is C3 important?
This is an important part of your immune system. It helps kill bacteria and viruses that cause disease. C3 protein is the most important and abundant protein in the complement system. It covers microbes to destroy them.
What’s the normal blood level for complement C3?
The normal range for a complement C3 blood test is 80 to 160 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 0.8 to 1.6 grams per liter (g/L).
What is the reference value for C3 in SLE?
If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this. A decrease in C3 levels to the abnormal range is consistent with disease activation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The results are dependent on appropriate specimen transport and storage. 1.
Where are low levels of C3 and C4 found?
They are found most commonly in cases of active SLE. Low levels of C3 associated with normal levels of C4 demonstrate alternative pathway activation suggestive of infectious disease or nephritic factor activity.
What does complement C3 and C4 stand for?
Alternative name: Description: Measurements of serum complement components C3 and C4 are useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of immune complex disease e.g. SLE and some blood associated infectious diseases.
