Opsonic activity of human ascitic fluid: A potentially important protective mechanism against spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Bruce A. Runyon, Richard L. Morrissey, John C. Hoefs, Frederic A. Wyle – 1 July 1985 – The opsonic activity of 60 ascitic fluids from 47 patients was measured using a standard opsonophagocytic assay. Curve analysis of the opsonic activity compared to the ascitic fluid concentration of total protein, total hemolytic complement, C3 and C4 yielded correlation coefficients of 0.84 (p < 0.001), 0.84 (p < 0.001), 0.94 (p < 0.001) and 0.92 (p < 0.001), respectively. There appeared to be a threshold of concentration for each protein below which there was no killing of bacteria.