ANTIBODY

GENERAL IMMUNOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF ORADEA
FACULTY OF MEDECINE

Presented by:
Beethue Raksha Devi

Arockiam Sacchin

Mohammad Shariq
 DEFINITION

They are gamma globulin proteins

found in blood and used by the
immune system to identify and
neutralize foreign objects.

Derived from plasma cell who secrete

hundreds to thousands of Ab per
second per cell.
 STRUCTURE
They are typically made of basic
structural units:
 two large heavy chains
 two small light chains
 LIGHT CHAIN
 There are two types of light chain:
1. lambda (λ)
2. kappa (κ).

 A light chain has one constant domain and one

variable domain.

 The approximate length is 211-217 amino acids.

 An AB has 2 identical light chains; either κ or λ.

 HEAVY CHAIN
Denoted : α, δ, ε, γ ,μ.

The type of heavy chain present defines the class of

antibody. Distinct heavy chains differ in size and
composition

Each heavy chain has two regions

 the constant region
 The variable region
 CONSTANT REGION
Identical in all AB of the same isotype.but differs
in antibodies of different isotypes.

For example, Ig A will have the same constant

region for subtypes A and B but Ig M will have a
different constant region.
 VARIABLE REGION
 differs in AB produced by different B
cells

 The variable region of each heavy

chain is approximately 110 amino
acids long and is composed of a
single Ig domain.
 SPECIFIC PARTS
1. Fab region
 Function: Recognise and binds the ag
 It has:
1. variable domain (FV)
2. constant domain
3. Complementarity Determining Regions
(CDRs)
These are variable loops found 3 each on the
light (VL) and heavy (VH) chains.

2. Fc region (Fragment crystallizable)

It generates a specific immune response for a
given antigen.
 TAXONOMY
 B cell differentiates and activates into five
antibody isotypes known as IgA, IgD,
IgE, IgG and IgM.

 Differ in their :
 biological properties,
 functional locations,
 ability to deal with different antigens.
Location and Functions
 Functions
 Antibodies are part of humoral immune system.

 Contributes to immunity in three ways :

1. They prevent pathogens
2. They stimulate removal of pathogens
by macrophages and other cells by coating the
pathogen.
3. Trigger destruction of pathogens by stimulating
other immune responses.

 Activation of complement
 Activation of effector cells
 Activation of complement

 Bind to surface antigens,for example, a

bacterium attract to Fc region.

 Killing of bacteria is in two ways :

1. Opsonization
2. Complement system components form
a membrane attack complex to assist AB to kill
the bacterium directly .
 Activation of effector cells
 To combat pathogens that replicate outside
cells, antibodies bind to pathogens to link them
together, causing them to agglutinate.

 Pathogen in cells that recognize their Fc

receptor on a particular cell triggers an effector
function of that cell

 Phagocytes will phagocytose ultimately

destruction of cell .
 Medical applications
Diagnosis and therapy:

1. Elevated IgA indicates alcoholic cirrhosis.

2. Elevated IgM indicates viral

hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis.

3. IgG is elevated in viral hepatitis,

autoimmune hepatitis and cirrhosis.
 Medical applications
4. Autoimmune disorders can often be traced by
antibodies that bind the body's own epitope.

5. Immune deficiency treatment for diseases like

1. X-linked agammaglobulinemia
2. Hypogammaglobulinemia
Ab is used to produce passive immunity

4. Prenatal therapy for treating Rh factor .

 Immunodiagnostic methods

 ELISA,
 immunofluorescence
 Western blot
 immunodiffusion
 immunoelectrophoresis
 Magnetic immunoassay
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Lippincotts biochemistry
 http://en.wikipedia.org/