Medical Microbiology

&Indirecthemagglutination.Anantigenisfixedonthesurfaceoferythro-

cytesandtheantigen-loadederythrocytesarethenagglutinatedusingspe-

cificantibodies.

&Hemagglutinationinhibitiontest.Theabilityofasamplecontaininganti-

gentoinhibithemagglutinationbetweenantigen-loadederythrocytesand

antiserumismeasured.Thistestisfrequentlyusedtoquantifyantibodies

againsthemagglutinatingviruses(mainlyinfluenzaandparainfluenzaviruses).

&AntiglobulintestsaccordingtoCoombs.ThedirectCoombstestdeter-

minesantibodybindingdirectlytoerythrocytes(e.g.,anti-Rhantibodiesag-

glutinateRh+erythrocytesofneonates).TheindirectCoombstestissuitablefor

detectionofantibodiesthathavealreadyboundtotheRh+erythrocytesof

newborns(secondpregnancyorsensitizedmother),orwhichhavebeenin-

124 2 BasicPrinciplesofImmunology

ImmunoelectrophoresisAccordingtoGrabarandWilliams

Undiluted serum

Antihuman serum

• _

Albumin

1 : 6

Undiluted

α- β- γ-globulins

IgM IgA IgG

IgG

1 : 6

Anti-IgG, anti-IgA, anti-IgM

Fig.2. 23 Serumisseparatedwithinagarosebyanelectricfield,andrendered

visiblewithanti-serumdirectedagainsthumanserum(above),orwithselected

specificantibodies(below).

2

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Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme

All rights reserved. Usage subject to terms and conditions of license.