In PSGN, what happens to serum complement levels?

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Multiple Choice

In PSGN, what happens to serum complement levels?

Explanation:
In PSGN, serum complement levels fall because immune complexes formed after a streptococcal infection activate the classical complement pathway, consuming complement proteins. This leads to hypocomplementemia, most classically with a low C3 level during the acute phase. The low C3 typically appears within days to weeks after the infection and then returns to normal over several weeks as the glomerulonephritis resolves. A high or normal complement level would not fit the pattern of consumption seen in PSGN, and fluctuations are not characteristic. C3 is the most reliable marker of this process, though C4 can sometimes be low as well.

In PSGN, serum complement levels fall because immune complexes formed after a streptococcal infection activate the classical complement pathway, consuming complement proteins. This leads to hypocomplementemia, most classically with a low C3 level during the acute phase. The low C3 typically appears within days to weeks after the infection and then returns to normal over several weeks as the glomerulonephritis resolves. A high or normal complement level would not fit the pattern of consumption seen in PSGN, and fluctuations are not characteristic. C3 is the most reliable marker of this process, though C4 can sometimes be low as well.

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