Anti-C1q autoantibodies may be found in many conditions, most commonly in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome (HUVS), and are diagnostic markers as well as disease activity markers in lupus nephritis. Sera from patients with SLE and HUVS show partly distinct autoantibody reactivities to separated protein chains B and C of the first component of complement, C1q. These different binding specificities can be detected by Western blot analysis of the autoantibodies under reducing conditions. Results may help clinicians to differentiate between SLE and HUVS.
Keywords: Anti-C1q autoantibodies; C1q protein chains B and C; Hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Western blot.