Biomaterial Database

[The significance of determining humoral defense factors: Ig isotypes, specific antibodies and complement]. 1988

T A Out, and C G Kallenberg, and P J van Munster

Laboratorium voor Experimentele en Klinische immunologie, Amsterdam.

The diagnosis of an immunodeficiency is made after detailed clinical and laboratory investigations. To guide these investigations the Dutch Working Group on Immunodeficiencies had made a protocol for evaluating the functioning of the immune system of patients. The protocol is based on the report 'Immunodeficiency' from a WHO scientific group. This paper discusses the value of laboratory investigations on the following aspects of the immune system: immunoglobulins and their subclasses, primary and secondary antibody responses in vivo, and the complement system. The evaluation of these components of the defense system can firmly establish possibly occurring severe immunodeficiency states. Some cases of chronic and/or recurrent infections, however, remain enigmas that have to be resolved by future investigations on the interactions of infectious agents with the immune system.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007136	Immunoglobulins	Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.	Globulins, Immune,Immune Globulin,Immune Globulins,Immunoglobulin,Globulin, Immune
D007153	Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes	Syndromes in which there is a deficiency or defect in the mechanisms of immunity, either cellular or humoral.	Antibody Deficiency Syndrome,Deficiency Syndrome, Immunologic,Deficiency Syndromes, Antibody,Deficiency Syndromes, Immunologic,Immunologic Deficiency Syndrome,Immunological Deficiency Syndromes,Antibody Deficiency Syndromes,Deficiency Syndrome, Antibody,Deficiency Syndrome, Immunological,Deficiency Syndromes, Immunological,Immunological Deficiency Syndrome,Syndrome, Antibody Deficiency,Syndrome, Immunologic Deficiency,Syndrome, Immunological Deficiency,Syndromes, Antibody Deficiency,Syndromes, Immunologic Deficiency,Syndromes, Immunological Deficiency
D007158	Immunologic Techniques	Techniques used to demonstrate or measure an immune response, and to identify or measure antigens using antibodies.	Antibody Dissociation,Immunologic Technic,Immunologic Technics,Immunologic Technique,Immunological Technics,Immunological Techniques,Technic, Immunologic,Technics, Immunologic,Technique, Immunologic,Techniques, Immunologic,Antibody Dissociations,Dissociation, Antibody,Dissociations, Antibody,Immunological Technic,Immunological Technique,Technic, Immunological,Technics, Immunological,Technique, Immunological,Techniques, Immunological
D003165	Complement System Proteins	Serum glycoproteins participating in the host defense mechanism of COMPLEMENT ACTIVATION that creates the COMPLEMENT MEMBRANE ATTACK COMPLEX. Included are glycoproteins in the various pathways of complement activation (CLASSICAL COMPLEMENT PATHWAY; ALTERNATIVE COMPLEMENT PATHWAY; and LECTIN COMPLEMENT PATHWAY).	Complement Proteins,Complement,Complement Protein,Hemolytic Complement,Complement, Hemolytic,Protein, Complement,Proteins, Complement,Proteins, Complement System
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000906	Antibodies	Immunoglobulin molecules having a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which they interact only with the ANTIGEN (or a very similar shape) that induced their synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially PLASMA CELLS).