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Test Code C3 Complement C3

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Plasma

Preferred Specimen: Li-Heparin Mint Green Top

Other Acceptable specimens: Serum/Gold Top, Serum/Red Top

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: 

Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: 

  • Samples should be centrifuged within 2 hours of collection.
  • Centrifuge specimens at >2500 x g for 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Aliquot sample into plastic transport tube containing a minimum of 0.2 mL of specimen.
  • Samples must be sent room temperature at 15-25oC.

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Specimens that are clotted or grossly hemolyzed.
  • Specimens that were transported unspun/whole blood and draw time is greater than 6 hours.

Reference Values

 

Test

Age

Sex

Reference Range

C3

<1 Month

All

53-120 mg/dL

C3

1 Month to 10 Years

All

60-180 mg/dL

C3

>10 Years

All

83-188 mg/dL

Note: Reference range based on in-house studies, recommendations from Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry, and Roche product literature.  

Critical Values

Analyte

Unit

Low

High

Age

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CPT Codes

86160

LOINC Codes

4485-9

Volume

Preferred Volume: 0.5 mL

Minimum Volume: 0.2 mL

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

4 days

Refrigerated

8 days

Frozen

8 days

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

 

Test Components

Complement Factor C3
 

Clinical Indications

As an acute phase protein, C3 is produced to an increased extent during inflammatory process. It is elevated in systemic infections, non-infectious chronic inflammatory conditions (primarily chronic polyarthritis) and physiological states (pregnancy).

Methodology

Immunoturbidimetric Assay (Roche Diagnostics)

Additional Information

  • Results should always be assessed in conjunction with patient's medical history, clinical examination and other findings.
  • The degree of fragmentation of C3 to C3c depends on the age and storage conditions of the sample. For fresh samples the values obtained are found to be up to 25 % lower than those obtained for aged samples depending on the extent to which fragmentation has occurred.

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

 

STAT Turnaround Time: Not available as STAT test

Routine Turnaround Time: 4 hours

Testing Schedule: 24/7

Synonyms/Keyword Search

C3C, C3 (3rd Component of Complement)

Last Review Date

8/19/2024