The MicroVue SC5b 9 Plus Enzyme Immunoassay measures the amount of the SC5b 9 complex present in human plasma or serum specimens.

The Terminal Complement Complex (TCC, SC5b-9) is generated by the assembly of C5 through C9 as a consequence of activation of the complement system by either the classical, lectin or alternative pathway. The membrane attack complex (MAC), a form of TCC, is a stable complex that mediates the irreversible target cell membrane damage associated with complement activation.^1-4 Complexes formed in the absence of a target membrane bind to naturally occurring regulatory serum proteins, e.g. the S protein,5-7 at the C5b 7 stage of assembly forming, soluble, non-lytic TCC.^1,5

The MicroVue SC5b 9 Plus Enzyme Immunoassay measures the concentration of TCC thereby giving an indication of the status of the terminal complement pathway in the specimen. It uses a monoclonal antibody to the C9 ring of TCC to capture the complex. The trapped TCC is subsequently detected with HRP-conjugated antibodies that bind to antigens of the SC5b 9 complex. This test, which provides a rapid, highly specific and quantitative procedure for measuring TCC levels, is designed for investigations studying the role or status of terminal complement pathway activation in numerous research settings.^8-12

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