IMMUNOSHEMISTRY

Anatomy and Physiology 2

Prepared by,
Foo Yue Chen Shanon
BNUR 1709 1659
 Introduction
• Immunochemistry is the study of the identities
and functions of the components of the immune
system.
Defination
• Immunity - the protection of the human body from
infectious disease.

• Immune system - the collection of cells, tissues and

molecules that mediate resistance to infections.

• Immune response – how cells and molecules coordinate

to react against bacteria, viruses, and other foreign
substances in the human body / infectious microbes.
2 Human Defense System
• Innate immunity mechanism
• Adaptive immunity mechanism

• 2 types of Adaptive immunity

• Humoral immunity
• Cell-mediated immunity
Innate Immunity
• Main components:
• Physical epithelial barriers (1st line of defense)
• Phagocytic cells (Neutrophils and macrophages)
• Blood proteins
• Cytokines

Adaptive Immunity
• Main components:
• T-lymphocytes (T-cells)
• B-lymphocytes (B-cells)
• Antibodies
Differences – Innate & Adaptive Immunity

Innate Immunity Adaptive Immunity

First / early line of defense Second / later line of defense

Non-specific Specific

Immediate response (minute) Slower response (days)

No immunologic memory Has immunologic memory

Humoral & Cell-mediated Immunity
Humoral Immunity Cell-mediated Immunity
Protects against extracellular Protects against intracellular
pathogens pathogens

Mediate by B-cells Mediated by T-cells

Antibodies Cytokines
B-cells: recognizes protein, T-cells: Protein antigen ONLY
carbohydrates, lipid

Immediate response Slower response

Structure of Immunoglobulin
• Y-shaped molecule
• 2 heavy chains, 2 light chains
• Held together by disulfide bonds
• 2 regions that presents different function:
• Binding fragment (Fab)
• Allow antibody to recognize and binds with antigen
• Crystallisable fragment (Fc)
• Allows interaction with other element of immune system to
mediate response
Classification of Immunoglobulin
• Differ by the type of heavy chain.
• Different heavy chain  different immune response
• IgM: Gamma-chains
• IgM: Mu-chains
• IgA: Alpha-chains
• IgE: Epsilon-chains
• IgD: Delta-chains
Classification of Immunoglobulin
Antibody Production Mechanism
Antigens: HLA & MHC
• Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) is the human major
histocompatibility complex (MHC)
• MHC: transplantation antigen
• HLA:
• inherited from the maternal and paternal chromosomes
• connected with autoimune disorders and other diseases
HLA Test / HLA Typing
• Done on both donor and recipient (to prevent rejection).
• Methods of HLA Typing / Testing:
1. Polymerase chain reaction technique
2. HLA antibody screening of recipient
3. Lymphocyte cross matching

* Extremely important:
- for bone marrow and kidney transplantation.
Free Radical
• Atom/molecule with an unpaired electron.
• Extremely reactive.
• Harmful – damage immune cells in the body
• Ability to knock out cytokine pathways
(communication channel between cells and the
immune system).
Antioxidant
• Detoxify free radicals.
• Stops free radicals from damaging body cells by,
• giving up an electron of its own
• satisfying free radicals
• Restores immune cells and the immune system.
Specialized Protein
1. Collagen:
• Most bundant protein in the human body
• Triple helix structured
• Contains glycine
• Regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation
• Helps in the production of glotathione (antioxidant), to stabalize
free radicals.
• Elastin:
• Connective tissue protein
• Rich in glycine and proline (like collagen)
• Allows protein to stretch and recoil
• Prevent inflamm-aging and age-associated chronic
inflammatory diseases.

• Keratin:
• Major component found in skin, hair, nails
• Contains cysteine disulphide (causing it hard to dissolve and
able it to from disulphide bridges)
• Myosin:
• A muscle protein
• Made up of heavy and light polypeptide chains (actin &
myosin)
• Causes muscle contraction (with ATP)
• Regulate cell activation, help the immune function of the
body.

• Lens Protein (eye):

• Water-soluble structured protein called crystallins
• Composed by alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon
• Crystallins: Maintain lens clarity and transparency, binding
damage proteins before they aggregate into light scattering
clusters.
Electrophoretic and Quantitative Determination
of Immunoglobulins - ELISA

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

• Detect and measure antibodies in the blood.
• Determine if there is antibodies related to
infectious conditions (HIV, pernicious anemia,
syphilis).
ELISA: Procedure
THANK YOU
Reference
• Abbas, A.K., Lichtman, A.H. and Pillai, S. (2012) Cellular
and Molecular Immunology. 7th edn. Philadelphia: Elsevier
Saunders, pp. 8.
• Creative Diagnostics (no date) Innate and Adaptive Immune
Mechanisms. Available at:
https://www.creative-diagnostics.com/innate-and-adaptive-i
mmunity.htm
(Accessed: 15 April 2018).
• Absolute Antibody (no date) Antibody Structure. Available at:
http://absoluteantibody.com/antibody-resources/antibody-ov
erview/antibody-structure/
(Accessed: 16 April 2018).
• Abbas, A.K. and Litchman, A.H. (2009) Basic Immunology:
Functions and Disorders of the Immune System. 3rd edn.
• Male, D., Brostoff, J., Roth, D.B. and Roitt, I. M. (2013)
Immunology. 8th edn. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders.
• Your Immune System (no date) Free Radicals,
Antioxidants, The Immune System. Available at:
http://immunedisorders.homestead.com/radicals.html
(Accessed: 27 April 2018).
• Shreemathy, V. and Sucheta, P. (2015) Nutrition &
Biochemistry for Nurses. Google Books [Online]. Available
at:
https://books.google.com.my/books?id=87RgCgAAQBAJ&
printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
(Accessed: 1st May 2018) 
• Healthline (no date) ELISA: Purpose, Procedure and
Result. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/elisa
(Accessed: 2nd May 2018)