immunological and molecular diagnostics

Question 1

What does serology measure?

Answer 1

evaluated immune function

Question 2

What do immunoassays do?

Answer 2

use antibodies as detection agents

Question 3

With serology what do you measure to check innate immunity?

Answer 3

acute phase proteins

Question 4

With serology what markers of adaptive immunity are used?

Answer 4

• total Ig

- Ag specific Ig

Question 5

5 ways to measure Ag specific Ig

Answer 5

• ELISA
• immunofluorescence
• virus neutralisation assay
• complement fixation test
• haemagglutination inhibition assay

Question 6

How are T cell responses measured?

Answer 6

• in vitro - measuring cytokine response after stimulation with specific Ag
• in vivo - delayed type hypersensitivity test

Question 7

3 uses for Ab as detection reagents

Answer 7

• detection of a pathogen ( ELISA , immunofluorescence, immunohistochem.)
• measuring a biomarker
• immunophenotyping ( Ab against cell surface markers to determine what cell types present)

Question 8

How to use molecular diagnostics for pathogen identificaion

Answer 8

• PCR / quantitative PCR
• can determine presence of nucleic acid or virulence factors from specific pathogens
• can be used for epidemiological studies

Question 9

How can molecular diagnostics be used for disease - susceptibility genes?

Answer 9

• PCR based technique ( check size to see if insertion / deletion , direct sequence analysis, use of wildtype / mutant probes )
• DNA genotyping ( parentage, disease diagnosis, carrier screening, disease risk for later life)