A survey for circulating immune complexes in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Use of a C1q-binding assay with soluble protein A as indicator.

A new assay for the detection of circulating C1q-binding immune complexes (IC) is described. The assay makes use of solid-phase C1q and iodinated soluble protein A, extracted from the cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus. In a model system the assay could detect heat-aggregated IgG down to a concentration of about 50 ng/ml. This method and three other assays, previously described, were used to survey the appearance of IC activity in sera from hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction. Depending on the assay system used, from 56% to 66% of the patients investigated were found to develop circulating IC. The earliest appearance of circulating IC was noted 5 days after infarction. The highest incidence of positive reactions and the strongest reactions occurred 2 to 3 weeks after hospitalization; thereafter the IC positiveness tapered off, and all patients were negative 6 weeks after infarction.