A simple method to quantitate circulating immune complexes in different diseases.

Immune Complexes are involved in the Pathogenesis of many diseases of varied aetiology such as autoimmune disorders, protozoal diseases, bacterial and viral infections. Quantitation of immune Complexes in these diseases can be used for diagnosis and to ascertain the prognosis. The simple method of precipitation by polyethylene glycol and quantitation by single Radial Immunodiffusion has been used in leprosy, syphilis, bacterial endocarditis and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This method found significantly higher levels of circulating immune complexes (CICs) in erythema nodosum leprosum, culture positive bacterial endocarditis and SLE where CICs are known to play an important role in the pathogenesis.