Diagnostic Testing

Question 1

What is a monoclonal antibody?

Answer 1

An antibody that binds one specific epitope of one specific antigen

Epitope = site on the antigen

Question 2

What is immunofluorescence used for?

Answer 2

Evaluating for an autoimmune response, especially in evaluating kidney disease and autoimmunity

Question 3

What is flow cytometry used for?

Answer 3

• White blood cell differential analysis
  
  • Can evaluate the presence and amounts of lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes
• Count the type of a specific cell
  
  • Ex: evaluate immune status of an HIV patient by counting T-cells
• Anything where you are looking at amounts/types of cells

Question 4

What is nephelometry used for?

What kind of information can you find out

Answer 4

Nephelometry is used to detect antigens or antibodies in the serum.

It can quantify the amount of antibody isotopes (IgG, IgM, IgA) in a patient sample

Question 5

Which assay would you use to evaluate the protein expression of lymphocyte subsets?

Answer 5

Flow cytometry

Question 6

Which test would you use to get a patient’s white blood cell count?

Answer 6

Flow cytometry

Question 7

Which diagnostic tests can quantify the amount of IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE isotypes in a patient sample?

Answer 7

Nephelometry (Use if large amounts are present as in IgG, IgM, IgA)

ELISA (Use if less abundant; IgE, specific subgroups of an isotype)

Question 8

Which assay would you use to evaluate your patient’s HIV progression?

Answer 8

Flow cytometry to count T-cells

Question 9

Your 3-week old patient has a family history of hyper-IgM syndrome

What is an appropriate assay to evaluate for the serum immunoglobulin levels?

Answer 9

Nephelometry to measure levels of IgM, IgG

(Could also use ELISA)

Question 10

What is ELISA used for?

Answer 10

To measure amounts of antigen or antibody present in a patient specimen

Can determine amounts of IgG, IgM, IgA, IgE etc

Can also determine amounts of specific subgroups of each isotype