Practical 6: Agglutination and Primary Immunodeficiency Flashcards
What antibody functions are associated with the Fab fragment?
Antigen binding
What antibody functions are associated with the Fc fragment
Complement binding
Binding to Fc receptors
Placental transfer
In antibody dimers, pentamers etc, what holds the monomers in place?
Disulfide bonds
What are the 6 functions of antibodies
Activates complement
Triggers mast cell degranulation
Activates antibody-dependent cellular activity
Causes antigen clumping and inactivation of bacterial toxins
Acts as opsonins
Activates B lymphocytes
Antibodies are aglutanins, what does this mean?
They can clump antibodies together
What does the constant domain determine?
The classification of the antibody
The functions of the antibody
Why is IgM a very effective agglutinin?
It is a pentamer
Valency of ten
What is haemagglutination?
The agglutination of red blood cells
What are the two main uses of haemoagglutination?
Blood typing
Viral quantification
How is blood grouping/typing carried out?
(2)
Use of anti sera (antibodies against certain blood groups)
e.g. agglutination will occur if the anti-sera binds to the erythrocyte i.e. if the anti sera is for the antigen expressed on the rbc
What is rheumatoid factor?
(2)
The antibody that was first found in rheumatoid arthritis
An antibody against the Fc portion of IgG
How does rheumatoid factor cause arthiris?
This factor binds to the Fc portion of IgG to form immune complexes which contribute to the disease
How is a doubling dilution carried out?
Transfer 0.5ml from first tube into the next, then transfer 0.5ml from second tube into third etc
What is your control in this experiment?
Only saline - no antibodies (but add the rbcs)
Negative control
What should you not do in this experiment?
Don’t vortex - this will lyse the rbcs
What does a tight pellet mean?
High agglutination