The new anti-C1q from Binding Site is an important addition to the panel of assays for diagnosis and monitoring of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and especially lupus nephritis, a renal complication of SLE. Recent studies indicate that there is a high specificity of anti-C1q antibodies in these conditions and laboratories testing samples from lupus patients will find the BINDAZYME Anti-C1q assay is easy to use and easy to automate.
The assay can be performed as a quantitative test and also as a screening assay by using the cut-off control included in the kit. The standard format of all BINDAZYME kits, including 3 x 30 minute incubation times, makes assays easy to automate and previously validated protocols are available from Binding Site for DSX and DS2 automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) processors. Reagents are colour-coded for ease of use and a five-point calibration curve improves accuracy of results.
Anti-C1q antibodies have an increased prevalence in SLE patients with lupus nephritis. These antibodies have an excellent negative predictive value of 95–100% so an absence of anti-C1q autoantibodies is strongly suggestive that lupus nephritis will not develop. Rising titres may also be predictive for ensuing relapses or flares of lupus nephritis in SLE patients.