Monoclonal Antibodies

Are B cells -> have finite life span (originally only made in mouse, now some companies
are making it in more with other means)

ELISA(Enzyme linked immunal assay)- very simple and useful tool

Designed to detect antibodies

Version 1

Need an antibody that will bind to your test antibody (e.g.human Ig).

Version 2

What is needed is a pair of antibodies- both must bind to the antigen,

but NOT each other! One of the antibodies is tagged with an enzyme.

Good for: detecting hormones, PSA

Not good for: determining if patient had an immune response

Latex agglutination – rapid detection of antigen or antibody

When antigen and antibody are both present, the antibodies are crosslinked,
causing the beads to agglutinate

Results is qualitative, but can be made quantitative by serial dilution of sample

Tider  last dilution of patients blood that still clumps

Examples: RPR (syphilis), Cyptococcal antigen

Blood Typing

Rh(rhesus) antigen has one variety – either you have it or you don’t , but if you don’t
you don’t have natural antibodies against it until you are exposed

There are also many so-called minor blood antigens these tend to cause less serious transfusion
reactions if there is mismatch, but can be important

Every unit of blood you receive is typed (for ABO and Rh) and crossmatched to make sure there
are no reaction to rH
IGM is too large to cross placenta, IGG, however, can cross the placenta. If Rh- carries an Rh+,
she will make antibodies IGG, to the antigen. Usually during childbirth but sometimes earlier,
these can cross the placenta and destroy RBCs on the fetus (during the next pregnancy).

RhoGam – allows women to carry Rh+ babies (second pregnancy or after first exposure to rH+
babies)