RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Reference ranges for serum C4 concentrations in subjects with and without C4 null alleles.
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP 573
OP 576
DO 10.1136/jcp.39.5.573
VO 39
IS 5
A1 G Uko
A1 F T Christiansen
A1 R L Dawkins
A1 V J McCann
YR 1986
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/39/5/573.abstract
AB Serum C4 concentrations were measured in 102 healthy subjects and 90 subjects with type I diabetes mellitus. A wide range was observed in the group as a whole (0.08-0.67 g/l; mean = 0.26 g/l; SEM = 0.01 g/l). After C4 allotyping it was possible to subgroup 134 of these subjects according to the number of C4 null alleles present. C4 concentrations in the group with two null alleles were lower than in the group without null alleles (mean 0.2 v 0.37 g/l; p less than 0.001). C4 concentrations in the group with one C4 null allele were intermediate and significantly different from those of the group without null alleles (mean 0.24 v 0.37 g/l; p less than 0.001). Appropriate analysis has defined reference ranges for serum C4 concentrations in subjects with two, one, or zero C4 null alleles. Interpretation of low serum C4 concentrations should take account of the number of C4 null alleles present.