30 Questions
Who is considered the 'Father of Cell-mediated immunity'?
Paul Ehrlich
Who discovered the phenomenon of Anaphylaxis?
Charles Richet
Who is credited with the discovery of Immunologic Tolerance?
Macfarlane Burnet and Peter Medawar
Who invented the Radioimmunoassay (RIA) technique?
Rosalyn Yalow
Who discovered the Toll-like Receptors?
Charles Janeway
Who is credited with the discovery of the T Cell Receptor Gene?
Tak Wah Mak and Mark Davis
What is the term used to describe the reaction when different organisms share the same antigen?
Cross reactivity
What is the ideal scenario for an immunoassay test?
Within the Zone of Equivalence
What is the term used to describe the reaction where there is an excess of antibody?
Zone of Antibody Excess
What is the second stage of the agglutination reaction?
Lattice formation
What is the concept of Lattice formation based on?
Each antibody molecule must have at least two binding sites and the antigen must be multivalent
What is the purpose of using LISS (Low Ionic Strength Solution) in an agglutination reaction?
To reduce the zeta potential and detect IgG antibodies
What is a disadvantage of serology as a diagnostic tool for infectious diseases?
Prone to false reactions, leading to false positive results
Which type of infection diagnosis method is considered the Gold standard for specific bacterial infections?
Culture and Sensitivity
In immunological abnormalities diagnosis, which conditions can be assessed using serology?
Autoimmune disorders like SLE and RA
Which of the following is NOT a method used for immunoassays of hormones?
Serotyping
What can cause false reactions in serological tests?
Presence of bacterial contamination or hemolysis
Which factor might lead to a false negative result in a serological test?
Testing too early in the infection before the body produces antibodies
Which of the following statements about sensitivity is correct?
An increase in sensitivity leads to an increase in true positive reactions.
What is the term used to describe the ability of a test to generate true negative results?
Specificity
Which of the following statements about affinity is correct?
It is the force of attraction between an antigen and a monoclonal antibody.
What is the term used to describe the study of antigen-antibody reactions in vitro?
Serology
Which of the following statements about animal-to-human blood transfusion (xenotransfusion) is correct?
Small amounts of lamb blood can be fatal when transfused to humans.
What is the term used to describe the study of the blood serum that contributes to immunity?
Serology
What is the purpose of heat reactivation at 56°C for 10 minutes?
To reactivate complement in the serum
Why is a plain red top tube preferred for serology testing?
It prevents the antibodies from getting trapped in the gel matrix
What should be done with the serum after it is separated from the red cells?
Transfer it to another plain red test tube
Why is serum preferred over cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for serology testing?
CSF has no complement, which is needed for serology testing
What is the recommended storage temperature for short-term preservation of serum samples (≤72 hours)?
4-6°C
Why do primary laboratories without serology sections send out their serum samples to tertiary laboratories?
To take advantage of the specialized serology testing machines available at tertiary laboratories
Study Notes
Immunology and Serology
- Elie Metchnikoff discovered phagocytosis.
- Paul Ehrlich is considered the Father of Cell-mediated immunity and developed the Side Chain Theory.
- Charles Richet discovered anaphylaxis.
- Jules Bordet developed the concept of complement fixation and discovered Bordetella pertussis.
- Karl Landsteiner discovered human blood group antigens (ABO blood group system) and the specificity of serologic reactions.
- Macfarlane Burnet and Peter Medawar discovered immunologic tolerance.
- Gerald Edelman and Rodney Porter discovered antibody structure.
- Rosalyn Yalow developed radioimmunoassay, a primary immuno-serological test.
- George Snell, Jean Dausset, and Baruj Benaceraf discovered the major histocompatibility complex.
- Charles Janeway discovered toll-like receptors.
- Friedrich Brent and Felix Haurowitz developed the template theory of antibody reaction.
- Kary Mullis invented PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
- Tak Wah Mak and Mark Davis discovered the T cell receptor gene.
Introduction to Serology
- Serology is the study of the blood serum, focusing on the in vitro study of antigen-antibody reactions.
- Serology can be classified into primary, secondary, and tertiary reactions.
Immunologic Reactions
- Zonal reactions: ideally, the test should be within the zone of equivalence to visualize the reaction.
- Prozone and postzone reactions can lead to false negative reactions.
- Lattice formation (immunocomplex formation) is necessary for agglutination reactions.
Diagnostic Serology
- Serology is useful for diagnosing infectious diseases, immunological abnormalities, and autoimmune disorders.
- It can also be used for immunoassays of hormones, tumor markers, cardiac markers, and thyroid function.
False Reactions
- False positive reactions can occur due to cross-reactivity, bacterial contamination, hemolysis, and improper incubation time and temperature.
- False negative reactions can occur due to prozone and postzone reactions, too early infection, and omission of reagents or serum.
Terminologies
- Sensitivity: the ability of a test to produce true positive results.
- Specificity: the ability of a test to generate true negative results.
- Affinity: the ability of an antibody to react with a single epitope.
Laboratory Procedures
- Serum separation and preservation are crucial for serology tests.
- In clinical chemistry, gold top tubes are preferred, while in serology, plain red top tubes are preferred.
- Serum samples should be stored at cold temperatures and sent to tertiary laboratories for serology testing if necessary.
Test your knowledge on key figures and discoveries in the history of immunology, including Paul Ehrlich's Side Chain Theory, Karl Landsteiner's work on ABO blood group system, and Rosalyn Yalow's contribution to radioimmunoassay.
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