Collagen IV Test

Collagen IV is a constituent of the vascular basement membranes along with laminins and enactins, which acts as a marker for angiogenesis. Autoantibodies against native collagen type IV have been found in various autoimmune diseases. Elevated collagen IV levels in patients with liver cirrhosis and chronic renal diseases have also been recorded. Patients with metastatic breast, colorectal, gastric and lung cancers have high levels of collagen IV detected in their serum. The test involves qualitative identification of Collagen type IV by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human tissues. The type IV collagen test is also used to detect liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Patients should be prepared to provide blood serum samples for the test. No special preparations are required, although the collection of the sample is mandatory to be taken at room temperature. For cancer patients, the test may be done after completion of 6 months of preoperative chemotherapy but before surgery. A formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human tissue block is the preferred type of required specimen. The specimen should be carried in a cold pack which is not in direct contact with the specimen. Samples should be vortexed thoroughly after thawing.

Measurement of native and MDA-collagen type IV IgM and IgG in MI patients. The Collagen IV immunohistochemistry test helps in the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid, an autoimmune disease. The collagen type IV serum test uses platelet count for assessing the fibrotic stage in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The Collagen IV serological test can identify different stages of liver fibrosis with relative accuracy. Post-infarction patients have significantly increased levels of IgM against native collagen type IV. Women with stage II–III breast cancer have significantly higher levels of collagen IV in their blood than healthy women.

The test involves taking a blood sample and stored as a serum in a refrigerated container for further testing. Blood is taken from your arm by piercing a vein with a needle or syringe. The blood sample is collected at room temperature and stored in a vile in the freezer. Along with an FFPE tissue block acting as a baseline specimen, an unstained, unbaked slide cut at 4-5 microns for H&E staining and 2-3 positively charged unstained slides cut at 3-4 microns is required for each test. Next, the block and slide identifiers should be written and match precisely with the specimen ID.