[The C3 activating capacity in human serum--measured as monocyte mediated chemiluminescence].

Phagocytosing monocytes form activated oxygen species which can be detected by the luminol-mediated chemiluminescence (CL). C3b-coated particles yield enhanced CL-signals due to their binding to the monocytes' C3b-receptor. Thus, the zymosan-induced monocyte-CL in a medium containing fresh or heat-inactivated serum provides a means of measuring in sera the capacity to activate C3.