Samenvatting

Due to the present developments in the field of biocompatibility of medical devices, the need for the availability of sensitive test methods with a high predictive value becomes more and more urgent. Commercial available RIA-testkits for measurement of complement activation are very expensive and their shelf lifetime is short because of the halfs lifetime of the radioactive label. In this report is described the development of an alternative C3a-testkit. Furthermore, the isolation of C3, an essential component of the testkit is described. At the time, purchase of a sufficient amount of C3 was impossible because of the non- availability of budget. This compelled to isolate C3 by ourselves. Finally two costs/benefits analysis were made. The first analysis consists of the weigh purchasing kit components against isolation of these components. The second analysis demonstrates the difference of the financial consequenses between buying commercial testkits and the development of an own testkit. The first analysis argues for the advantage of purchasing kit components and, moreover this approach has some scientific advantages. The second analysis tells strongly in favour of the development of an own tetkit, which is five times cheaper in respect of costs per measurement. Moreover, the alternative testkist has some technical advantages, such as: long shelf lifetime, high sensitivity, no radioactive waste, and no special facilities are needed.