Antiserum

An immune serum is a purification of specific antibodies from the blood serum of immunized other mammals ( heterologous immune serum) or humans ( homologous immune serum ) are obtained. One speaks specifically of vaccination serum if the immune serum is obtained for the purpose of passive vaccination. In connection with the treatment of poisoning (eg, snake bites, etc.), however, the term is used antiserum. Healing serum is another obsolete term for this particular type of serum. Other uses include the treatment of infectious diseases as well as in research and diagnostic medicine and molecular biology.

Production

For a heterologous immune serum are animals - often horses, sheep or rabbit - vaccinated with the respective antigen. An antigen is here an exogenous protein, such as a pathogen or part of it, or a poison, which recognize and attack the immune system as a potential enemy body. As part of the immune response specific antibodies against these exogenous substances are formed. This immunization is repeated several times to increase the concentration of the specific antibody. When toxins ( for example, poisonous snakes, scorpions or spiders) is in this case started with a small dose is slowly increased. The immune system of animals forms antibodies without getting sick dangerous. The antibodies in homologous immune sera from humans, however, probably added from natural contacts with these antigens ( for example, successfully healed diseases).

The following immunization prepared from the blood serum now contains these specific antibodies. The immunoglobulins in the blood serum may be further purified by biochemical methods. The in passive vaccination (see below) administered antibodies are generally prepared from human blood. From up to 20,000 pooled ( together cast ) units of blood, the antibodies are extracted. This entails a certain risk of transmission of diseases, in particular those whose transmission mode is not known (for example, BSE). Also known diseases (HIV) could be transferred in case of improper processing. Animal antibodies, which are to be used in humans (eg against snake venom, botulism, and others), while still treated by fermentation to prevent an immune response against these proteins. The final immune serum is finally kept or used in corresponding research institutions, hospital departments and Institute of Tropical Medicine.

Application in medicine as a passive vaccination

Was introduced in the passive immunization in 1890 by Emil von Behring, when he developed a cure against diphtheria. In passive immunization, the antibody is injected directly. This has the advantage that the organism not only itself must develop antibodies, which can take up to a week or in the case of a poison overwhelm the immune system, depending on the concentration, but recognize the pathogens immediately the injected antibodies and mark, so that the immune system the patient can then respond to the signals of the antibody and make the foreign body harmless.

In general, such a passive vaccination stops just a few weeks to months, then the " borrowed " antibodies are excreted or degraded and the organism is threatened by a new infection by the same pathogen again, because the immune system is not stimulated by this form of rapid treatment was to train its own immune memory. The passive vaccination is therefore only an emergency measure, if already taken place, contact with the relevant pathogen or toxin has ( post-exposure prophylaxis). An example of this is a suspected infection with lockjaw (tetanus ). If a patient has a wound contaminated with unclear vaccination status, he will receive in addition to the active passive immunization to prevent possible infection. The same applies for rabies in dog bites.

Application in research and diagnosis

The high specificity of the antibodies recognize with their antigen, makes you look in medicine and biology being used to make the antigen, in most cases, a protein visible. The preparation of polyclonal antibodies from immune sera is carried out as described above (as opposed to the production of monoclonal antibodies).

The antibodies thus obtained can be either directly with an enzyme (requires a substrate in color or chemiluminescence to ) coupled to fluorescent dyes or radioactive isotopes ( labeled ) or with a secondary antibody that binds to the first ( primary ), and is labeled accordingly, demonstrated.

  • Immunohistochemistry - detection of an antigen on a cell surface, cut in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus by means of antibodies to Gewebsdünn ( Cryo- or paraffin ), and thus indirect detection of cell types, stages of differentiation, etc. ..
  • ELISA - the quantification of antigens or antibodies in the serum, cell culture supernatants, etc. by means of enzyme-coupled antibody
  • ELISPOT - Detection of antibody or antigen -secreting cells (plasma cells zytokinsezernierende cells ) by means of enzyme-coupled antibody
  • FACS - Quantification of cells with fluorescence- coupled antibodies against antigens on the cell surface, in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus
  • Western blot
  • Supergelshift (see EMSA)
  • Pregnancy Test
  • Phage Display
  • DRUGWIPE test
  • Abzymes
Serum (blood) Snakebite Domestic rabbit Venomous snake Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay Antidote Emil Adolf von Behring
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