Specimen:

Plasma

Collection Medium:

Alternate
Collection Media:

Call laboratory for additional acceptable specimen collection 
containers.

Minimum:

5 ml whole blood from light green top tube

Rejection Criteria:

Specimens collected in Sodium Citrate tubes.

Testing
Schedule:

24 hrs/day, 7 days a week, including holidays.

Analytic Time:

2 hours (upon receipt in laboratory)

Reference Range:

16-47 mg/dl

Comments:

Measures concentration by specific antibody. If cryoglobulin present
or suspected, collect specimen as directed for 'Cryoglobulin, Serum'.

Test
Limitations:

Criterion: Recovery within plus or minus 10% of initial value.

Icterus: No significant interference up to an I index of 60 
(approximate conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin concentration: 60 
mg/dl or 1026 umol/l).

Hemolysis: No significant interference up to an H index of 900 
(approximate hemoglobin concentration: 900 mg/dl or 559 umol/l)

Lipemia (Intralipid): No significant interference up to an L index of 
1000 (approximate triglycerides concentration: 2000 mg/dl or 22.8 
mmol/l). There is poor correlation between turbidity and triglycerides 
concentration.

Rheumatoid factors up to 1200 IU/ml do not interfere.

No high-dose hook effect is seen up to a C4 concentration of 500 mg/dl.

Monoclonal gammopathy sera of the IgA or IgM type can interfere with 
the C4 determination.

Methodology:

Immunoturbimetric

Sample
Processing:

Centrifuge at 3000 RPM for 10 minutes.
Specimen must be in plastic vial.
Label transport tube with two patient identifiers, date and time of 
collection.

Sample
Storage:

Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze.

Transport
Instructions:

Place specimen into zip-lock type bag, seal bag.
Place requisition into outside pocket of bag.
Place dry ice on top of specimen in styrofoam container.

CPT Code:

86160