HAPTENS

INCOMPLETE ANTIGENS
HAPTENS ARE ANTIGENIC BUT LACK
IMMUNOGENICITY

 They can combine specifically with antibodies

or surface receptors of T cells

 They are unable to induce an immune

response on their own.
 HAPTEN CARRIER CONJUGATE

 Haptens become
immunogenic on combining
with a carrier molecule.

HAPTEN + CARRIER 
HAPTEN CARRIER CONJUGATE

 This has 3 types of

antigenic determinants
- hapten determinant
- unaltered epitopes on
carrier protein
- new epitopes formed by
combination
Three types of antibodies are formed
accordingly
- to hapten
- to carrier
- to conjugate of hapten and carrier

Antigen Antibodies formed

Hapten(DNP) None
Protein carrier (BSA) Anti-BSA
Hapten carrier conjugate Anti-DNP (major)
(DNP-BSA) Anti-BSA (minor)
Anti-DNP/BSA (minor)
 HAPTENS IN RESEARCH AND
DIAGNOSIS
 Used as a tool to study specificity of Ag-Ab
reactions

 To demonstrate the diversity of antigens

recognized by the immune system

 Hapten specific antibodies are used to

measure certain substances and hence can be
used in diagnostics
EXAMPLES OF HAPTENS
 Dinitrophenol
 Fluoroscein
 Biotin
 Penicillin
 One example of a hapten is penicillin. By itself
penicillin is not antigenic. However, when it combines
with certain serum proteins of sensitive individuals, the
resulting molecule does initiate a severe and
sometimes fatal allergic immune reaction. In these
instances the hapten is acting as an antigenic
determinant on the carrier molecule.