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Low Levels of Complement Factor C4 Not Always Implicate Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein/Utrecht, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
Department of Clinical Immunology, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein/Utrecht, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
Department of Immunopathology and Blood Coagulation, Sanquin Diagnostics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- 1 Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein/Utrecht, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- 2 Department of Clinical Immunology, St Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein/Utrecht, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands
- 3 Department of Immunopathology and Blood Coagulation, Sanquin Diagnostics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
International Journal of Clinical Medicine·Volume 04 (2013)·Pages 99–101·Published 26 February 2013·DOI10.4236/ijcm.2013.42019
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Abstract
A lupus patient with a clinically quiescent disease stage will be described who had severely depressed C4 levels while levels of C3 en CH50 were normal. Additional testing revealed a homozygous C4Aisotype deficiency as the cause of the very low C4 levels. It should be emphasized that in SLE, a (very) low C4 level does not always means (subclinical) disease activity.
KeywordsComplementHomozygous C4A Isotype DeficiencySystemic Lupus Erythematosus
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