Immunologic Tests Flashcards
immunologic tests
- confirm diagnosis
- often necessary before treatment or referral
immunologic tests indications
- indicators of infection and/or inflammation
- pathogen detection
- auto-antibody detection
- blood and tissue typing
- immune deficiency testing
indications for immunologic tests in optometric care
- ocular infections (conjunctivitis, viritis)
- autoimmune disease (uveitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, amuarosis fugax (sudden loss of vision))
- ocular allergies
available in-office immunologic tests in optometric care
- adenoviral conjunctivitis
- Sjorgren’s syndrome
- non-specific dry eye
- environmental allergies
immunologic tests categories
- serology
- diagnostic immunology (immunodiagnostics)
serology
- study of blood serum and other bodily fluids
- clinically: diagnostic identification of antibodies, enzymes, or minerals
diagnostic immunology (immunodiagnostics)
- antigen or antibody detection through the use of Ag:Ab interactions
- Ag or Ab identified by radiolabel, enzyme, or fluorescent label
monoclonal antibodies (mAb)
-Ag-specific Abs lab-grown via hybridoma
uses of monoclonal antibodies
- immunodiagnostics
- cancer treatment
- autoimmune disease therapy
naked mAbs
independent Abs
conjugated mAbs
Abs joined with another molecule
serologic tests
- precipitation tests
- agglutination tests
- labeled antibody tests
- complement fixation tests
- viral neutralization tests
complement fixation tests
- mix sample serum with test solution
- then add to solution containing complement
- if Abs are present in sample serum, those Abs will bind the Ags, preventing Ag from activating complement
- presence of Abs in serum prevent complement activation
viral neutralization tests
- put patient sample and virus in an egg
- presence of Abs in serum prevent virus growth
- viral growth will occur if the patient sample does not have the Abs
precipitation tests:
tests for _____
- Abs
- viruses
- bacteria
precipitation tests:
characteristics
- soluble target molecule and known Ag or Ab
- precipitate (immune complexes) often visible to naked eye
- requires large amounts of Ag or Ab for positive test
- low sensitivity
precipitation tests:
types of tests
- gel immunodiffusion
- immunoelectrophoresis
agglutination tests:
tests for ____
- Abs
- viruses
- bacteria
agglutination tests:
characteristics
- target may be bound to a carrier protein (increases visibility)
- cross-linking causes clumping
- easy to see and interpret
- fast
- can be very sensitive
hemagglutination
- clumping of red blood cells after mixing of anti-RBC antibodies
- blood typing for transfusion
titration and agglutination
- concentration of Abs or Ag in serum
- titer = reciprocal of greatest dilution with reaction
- e.g., determining IgG titer after vaccination
agglutination tests for Treponema pallidum (syphilis pathogen)
- fast and cheap but not very specific
- Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test
- Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR)
Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test
- serum Ab detection via flocculation
- can be negative in latent syphilis or after treatment
Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR)
- same Ag used as VDRL, but bound to carbon particle
- flocculation is visible without a microscope