Sensitization (immunology)
Immunological sensitization covers the following usage.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
1. immunization.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] There are active immunization and passive immunization. Thus these are also called active and passive sensitization, respectively.
Active immunization include exposing a host to an allergen that induces development of hypersensitivity. Sensitization is the term more often in usage for induction of allergic responses.[4] Without this sensitization of the host with the allergen, that is, without exposure of the allergen to the host and induction of allergen-specific lymphocytes and antibodies both being ready to respond to the next exposure to the allergen, the host would never react to the allergen exposed to.[4]
2. To bind antibodies to cells such as erythrocytes in advance of performing an immunological test such as a complement-fixation test or a Coombs test.[1] [2] [5] The antibodies are bound to the cells in their Fab regions in the preparation.
3. To bind antibodies or soluble antigens chemically or by adsorption to appropriate biological entities such as erythrocytes or particles made of gelatin or latex for passive aggregation tests.[5]
Those particles themselves are biologically inactive except for serving as antigens against the primary antibodies or as carriers of the antigens.[5] When antibodies are used in the preparation, they are bound to the erythrocyte or particles in their Fab regions. Thus the step follows requires the secondary antibodies against those primary antibodies, that is, the secondary antibodies must have binding specificity to the primary antibodies including to their Fc regions.
References
- ^ a b c Anderson DM, ed. (2003). "Sensitization." Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 30th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders, p. 1680. ISBN 0-7216-0146-4.
- ^ a b c Brown MJ, ed. (1992). "Sensitization." Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, 5th ed. Philadelphia; London: Saunders, p. 1352. ISBN 0-716-3456-7.
- ^ a b Pugh MB, ed. (2000). "Sensitization." Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 27th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, p. 1619. ISBN 0-683-40007-X.
- ^ a b c d Janeway C, Travers P, Walport M, Shlomchik M, eds. (2001). Immunobiology 5: The Immune System in Health and Disease. New York: Garland Pub., ISBN 081533642X
- ^ a b c d e Tada T, Taniguchi M, Okumura Y, Miyasaka M, eds. (1993). "Sensitization." Dictionary of Terms in Immunoglogy, 3rd ed. Osaka: Saishin-Igakusha, Ltd., p. 510. ISBN 4-914909-10-3 C3547 (in Japanese).