Description
In all cases where complement function needs to be determined, TCC levels can be very useful as a supplement to the evaluation of the function of the three complement pathways. It reflects the historical in vivo activity of complement in a given sample. The complement system plays an important role in chronic, autoimmune and infectious diseases. There are three pathways for complement activation, namely the classical pathway, the alternative pathway and the lectin pathway. The soluble terminal complement complex is the product of the terminal pathway and can be the result of all three complement activation pathways. Since TCC can reflect the activation response to the end of the final terminal pathway, regardless of the initial pathway involved, it is a particularly good candidate for general evaluation of complement activation. As we all know, under various pathological conditions, the complement system plays a key role in the development and amplification of the inflammatory process at the tissue level. Elevated TCC levels can be detected in, for example, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The complement system can also be activated by artificial surfaces, such as during hemodialysis or extracorporeal circulation, which leads to increased TCC levels. TCC is also very suitable for studying the complement activation effect of biomaterials in medical devices. TCC can be measured in an assay using neoepitope-specific monoclonal antibodies like other complement activation products. New epitopes are hidden in natural complement components and are exposed after complement activation