Abstract: Treatment of inflammation in mammals utilizing selected ketobutyrolactones and furylbutyrolactones. Treatment is applicable to both acute or chronic inflammation. Antiviral activity of methylfurylbutyrolactone is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for assaying circulating immune complexes comprisescontacting the circulating immune complexes in solution in serum with a staphylococcal protein-A linked to a detectable label, whereby a CIC-protein-A-label complex is formed,selectively precipitating the CIC-SPA-label complex by contacting the complex with polyethylene glycol,separating the precipitated CIC-SPA-label complex from the serum,measuring the quantity of the label in the precipitated CIC-protein-A-label complexcomparing the measured quantity of label with at least one standard prepared by subjecting a solution containing a known amount of CIC or functional equivalent material to the same assay. The method requires only a single precipitation step and in a preferred embodiment the formation of the CIC-SPA-label complex may be formed in a single step.