Synthetic peptide and its uses

Abstract

The invention provides a fragment of C1q which is characterized in that a plurality of such fragments selectively binds immune complexes or aggregated immunoglobulins in the presence of monomeric immunoglobulin. The invention also provides a synthetic peptide comprising the sequence: ##STR1## or variants thereof capable of binding immunoglobulin. Like the C1q fragment, a plurality of the peptides can selectively bind immune complexes or aggregated immunoglobulins in the presence of monomeric immunoglobulin. As a result of this property, the fragments and peptides are well-adapted for removing immune complexes and aggregated immunoglobulins from fluids containing monomeric immunoglobulin, and for detecting or quantitating immune complexes in such fluids. The invention also provides a binding material for removing immune complexes or aggregated immunoglobulins from a fluid. The binding material comprises plural binding peptides, the peptides being characterized in that a plurality of them selectively binds immune complexes and aggregated immunoglobulins in the presence of monomeric immunoglobulin.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.