Types of antigens and antibodies

Antigens
• Of cells: determine the immunological uniqueness of individual (with the exception of twins).
Disadvantage - transplantation, advantage – protection.
• Of the blood elements (RBC, WBC, Pl)
• Foreign: specific chemical compounds (proteins, polysaccharides) which invoke production of
antibodies.

Antibodies
• specific γ immunoglobins which are are produced against specific antigens
• in plasma (antitoxins, precipitins, agglutinates, lysins, opsonins).

Response to antigen
Antigen --> primary response ( antibodies production, immunization, sensibilization ) --> secondary
response (immunity, allergy, anaphylactic shock (after), parenteral administration i.v)

Causes for immune response

immunization: transfusion, pregnancy-hemolytic disease in newborn, trophoblastic disease,
transplantation, food, medicaments, microbes, viruses.

Summery
Antigens Antibodies
In cells and blood elements Not present in cells
Agglutinogens Agglutinins
Er A,B,O, (H) Anti A (α), anti B (β)
Rh (C,D,E,c,d,e) No Rh
MNS No MNS
Ly HLA (main histocompatibility complex) -
Pl Duzo, Pl A , Pl E KO
importance of the blood cells antigens:
transfusion
transplantation Of bone marrow
pregnancy: erythroblastosis fetalis – exsanquination: 0 Eh-
relation to diseases: A group more frequent cancer of stomach, B group more frequent duedenal ulcer
autoimmune disease: hemolytic anemia
regulation of immunity
forensic medicine
criminology
father determination

Blood groups
Landsteiner's law of blood (1900): if on the surface of RBC is one agglutinogen, in plasma is opposite
agglutinins and vice versa

system ABO (H)

Group Agglutinogen Agglutinins Occurrencea

O - 0 (H) AntiA, antiB 32.00%

A A AntiB 41.00%
B B AntiA 14.00%
AB AB - 9.00%

A1: 80% of A group, A2: 20%, b, A1, B, A2, B, 0

anti H is in A1, A1B plasma

abillity if agglutinogens changing

at leukemia, malign tumors, therapy by cytostatics

agglutinogens ABO also present on all blood elements, cells of organism, sperms, dissolved: body
fluids – plasma, serum, saliva, urine, milk.

Production of antibodies: during the first year, after birth = 0 (newborns are transfused only by 0 Rh -.

Another antigens of RBC: Kell, MNSs, Duffy, Fy negative = resistent against malaria.

Rh antigen: Landsteiner, 1940

Rh + 85% of population
– D (93%), C, E
– d, c, e
Plasma – without natural antibodies
Antibodies against Rh
during immunization
incorrect transfusion
0,1 ml of blood D = begins the Anti D production
3 months after 1 transfusion. The new transfusion evokes hemolytic posttransfusion reaction.

pregnancy M: Rh – F: Rh+
erythroblastic hemolysis in fetus
transplantation

HLA system
system of antigens on human lymphocytes, HLA (main histocompatibility complex), the most
complicated, 5 loucuses on 6th chromosome.
A, B, C, D, DR

HLA-A, B, C antigens are present in the whole organism: on T lymphocytes, on granulocytes,

monocytes, Pl, Er, on cells, sperms, in milk, serum, urine
HLA-DR antigens are present only on: B lymphocytes, monocytes, tissue

Importance: transfusion, transplantation, newborn thrombocytopenia, forensic medicine, criminology,

father determination.

Blood group determination:

• By slide method – the unknown aglutinogens are determined by known antibodies
• By test tubes methods – the antibodies are determened simultenuously with aglutinogens.

Blood transfusion:

donor, recipent cross matching test

the blood group of donor should be compatible with that of recipient in: group, subgroup, Rh factor
The group 0 = universal donor, group AB universal recipient – rare!