Comments on: Adaptive immune defenses: Antibodies

By: TWiV 161: Concerto in B

TWiV 161: Concerto in B — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:55:11 +0000

[...] Antibodies (virology blog) [...]

By: Denialist Henry Bauer’s Logic and AIDS | Aids Conspiracy

Denialist Henry Bauer’s Logic and AIDS | Aids Conspiracy — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 15:54:17 +0000

[...] of antibodies and why they are able to have such incredible specificity from Virology Blog: http://www.virology.ws/2009/07/22/adaptive-immune-defenses-antibodies/ “Binding occurs in a small region near the ends of the heavy and light chain called [...]

By: KANSER:BERTINDAK DENGAN BIJAK | cafemlm.com

KANSER:BERTINDAK DENGAN BIJAK | cafemlm.com — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:01:58 +0000

[...] http://www.virology.ws/2009/07/22/adaptive-immune-defenses-antibodies [...]

By: Denialist Henry Bauer’s Logic and AIDS | health dairy

Denialist Henry Bauer’s Logic and AIDS | health dairy — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:45:57 +0000

[...] why they are able to have such incredible specificity from Virology Blog: http://www.virology.ws/2009/07/22/adaptive-immune-defenses-anti… “Binding occurs in a small region near the ends of the heavy [...]

By: Savkwalton

Savkwalton — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 01:32:00 +0000

In the graph above, on secondary exposure, IgG rises about twice as high as the highest primary response and about 6 times the residual primary response. If IgG is 10 or 12 times the “protective level”, how did it get that high? Is the secondary antibody response proportional the quantity of antigen in the exposure? Or are there other possibilities? If IgG is measured twice in succession at about the same level, what are we to conclude if symptoms compatible with that disease occurred between the dates of measurement? And, finally, what does it mean when IgM
simply disappears completely and IgG never develops?

By: Antibodies neutralize viral infectivity inside cells

Antibodies neutralize viral infectivity inside cells — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:35:05 +0000

[...] Antibodies are an important component of the host defense against viral infection. These molecules, produced 7-14 days after infection, neutralize viral infectivity, thereby limiting the spread of infection. Antibodies are thought to neutralize viral infectivity in several ways: by forming noninfectious aggregates that cannot enter cells, or by blocking virion attachment to cells or uncoating (figure). A new mechanism has just joined this list, in which antibody bound virions are degraded in the cell cytoplasm. [...]

By: Detecting viral proteins in infected cells or tissues by immunostaining

Detecting viral proteins in infected cells or tissues by immunostaining — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:06:10 +0000

[...] virological techniques are based on the specificity of the antibody-antigen reaction. Examples in our virology toolbox include western blot analysis and ELISA. While [...]

By: Virology toolbox – the western blot

Virology toolbox – the western blot — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:00:41 +0000

[...] protein in a cell, tissue, organ, or body fluid. The technique depends on the reaction of an antibody with a protein that is immobilized on a thin membrane (click the figure for a larger version). The [...]

By: Reinfection with 2009 influenza H1N1

Reinfection with 2009 influenza H1N1 — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:09:50 +0000

[...] a similar virus, a rapid antibody response occurs that is called the secondary antibody response. Antibodies are critical for preventing many viral infections, including influenza. But reinfection may occur if we encounter the same virus before the primary [...]

By: rau

rau — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:29:26 +0000

The minimum time for the H1N1 booster is 21 days, the recommended time by the CDC is 28 days but is there a maximum time when the booster would no longer trigger adaptive antibody response? I ask because my 1 year olds pediatrician is not scheduling boosters at this time due to vaccine shortages.

By: rau

rau — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:29:26 +0000

By: profvrr

profvrr — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:37:30 +0000

If you are already immune to H1N1 influenza, immunization with
inactivated vaccine will simply act as a 'booster'. The immunization
may be accompanied by typical reactions such as fever and soreness;
but these would happen even in the absence of prior immunity. If the
infectious vaccine is used (Flumist) the pre-existing antibodies would
likely render immunization ineffective.

By: concerned_parent

concerned_parent — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:47:00 +0000

I am just wondering what can happen if a person is already immune to H1N1 influenza an receives a H1N1 flu shot? Is it possible to have an adverse reaction to the vaccine for that reason?

By: profvrr

profvrr — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:33:48 +0000

How do you know you had H1N1 influenza? Was it diagnosed in a laboratory? If you did not have laboratory confirmed influenza, you should receive the H1N1 vaccine.

By: jan07121950

jan07121950 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:38:39 +0000

if I have already had H1N1 this year can I have it again or do I need a vaccine

By: profvrr

profvrr — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:02:58 +0000

MBM and swhiting are both correct – the diagram is mislabeled. The constant region of the light chain should be labeled CL not CH. Thanks for picking that up.

By: swhiting

swhiting — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:42:19 +0000

A small point, but looking at your first antibody picture: should the “CH” in lower part of the left-hand light chain actually be labelled “CL”?

By: MBM

MBM — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:47:29 +0000

As ever, many thanks for all the effort you are putting in to educate us all.
I think there is possibly a typo on your first diagram: in the top left branch of the ‘Y’ there are two labels inside the blue (light-chain) loops, these labels read VL and CH, but I think the second of these labels should perhaps read CL rather than CH (since it is part of the light chain)?

By: Matt Dubuque

Matt Dubuque — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:01:58 +0000

Thanks, I get it now. I was reading the schematic incorrectly.

I do very much appreciate having the lessons in short chunks. I just found those two terms intruiging, as I tried to imagine what they might do.

By: profvrr

profvrr — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:38:23 +0000

There are two red lines, in the shape of a Y - those are the two heavy
chains. There are two shorter blue lines; those are the light chains.
Of course the antibody is three-dimensional, but the diagram is a
simple schematic of the four chains. Hope that helps. An explanation
of 'biological mediation' and 'complement binding regions' will
follow. I try to keep the posts short to encourage reading; longer
ones tend to be daunting. I'm trying to be understandable to as many
people as possible.

By: mdubuque

mdubuque — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:32:07 +0000

I'm having a little trouble interpreting the first chart of an antibody.

The text states that an antibody is composed of two heavy chains and two light chains.

However, on the diagram I can only find one of each. Is that because the graph is actually a cross-section of the 3-dimensional antibody?

Pretty basic question I know, but I wanted to be sure.

Also, I'm curious what the "biological mediation" and "complement binding regions" do. I imagine that discussion follows.

By: profvrr

profvrr — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:21:29 +0000

Adults had immunity to the 1977 H1N1 because a nearly identical virus
circulated in 1950 (http://bit.ly/LbPv4). Pre-1957, those adults who
had been infected with H1N1 in 1950 were only partially immune due to
antigenic drift. Adults have cross-reactive antibodies to 2009 SOI-V
because they are old enough to have encountered an antigenically
similar (not identical) H1N1 virus between 1918-1957.

By: profvrr

profvrr — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:11:33 +0000

Do you mean the drop in antibody levels after ~5 weeks? That would not
explain flu waves because memory should provide even more robust
antibody responses. The waves probably relate to exhaustion of
susceptibles.

By: gsgs

gsgs — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:03:05 +0000

why were adults immune against semi-pandemic H1N1 in 1977 (only children caught it)
but not against seasonal H1N1 in the years before 1957 ?
Why do some adults have antibodies against mexflu and children not ?
Does it come from the 1976 vaccine ? I can't believe it comes from
pre-1957 H1N1 which is similar to past-1977 H1N1

By: gsgs

gsgs — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:02:42 +0000

does this explain the duration of typical flu-waves, which go up ~5 weeks
and then go down ~5weeks ?