Description

Test Criteria

The Complement Total, or CH50 Blood Test, assesses the overall activity of the complement system, and mainly evaluates the classic complement activation pathway. A CH50 Blood Test is often ordered to evaluate complement component deficiency and evaluate complement activity in cases of immune complex disease, glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidneys’ filters), rheumatoid arthritis and cryoglobulinemia (abnormal proteins in the blood that thicken in cold temperatures). It can also be used to evaluate a patient’s response to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) therapy and predict disease flares.

A total complement measurement, also known as a total hemolytic complement or a CH50 measurement, checks how well the complement system is functioning.

This test is usually ordered for people with a family history of complement deficiency and those who have symptoms of: