Antibody detection and identification involve analyzing the blood for the absence or presence of a specific antibody or the amount of the antibody present in the blood. Antibodies are immunoglobulin proteins that are part of the body’s immune system, whose primary role is to protect the body against bacteria, chemicals, viruses, or toxins. Antibody identification is meant to achieve various objectives, including diagnosing an allergy, monitoring the autoimmune process, evaluating protection level, and diagnosing an autoimmune condition. This paper provides a reflection on antibody detection and identification including the hardest and easiest concepts to grasp.
Learning the concept of antibody detection and identification has been very exciting. Initially, I had the impression that antibody detection would be a complex concept to grasp. However, after closely studying and considering the assignments, I have learned several concepts, including that an antibody consists of two or three group O reagents with known antigen phenotypes. A positive antibody implies that a specific or unexpected antibody is present in the patient’s serum. Further, if the antibody screen is positive, the antibody is identified through performing an antibody panel.
During antibody identification, three main techniques that one can use. The techniques include traditional tube methods, Hemagglutination, solid phase, and gel. After determining the right technique, the other essential process is antibody exclusion. An exclusion procedure is undertaken by observing the antigens present on the reagent cells with which the sera did not react. In other words, the patient’s antibodies are not directed against the antigens present on the cells.
The Solid Phase Technique is a valuable and simple method for antibody identification, especially when the test sample is limited in quantity. Moreover, the Solid-phase technique does not require a lot of skills to do the reading. The reading is straightforward because distinguishing positive reactions from negative reactions is easy. On the other hand, Hemagglutination is relatively hard to perform. First, it requires complex agents such as paramyxoviruses, serum, and hemagglutinate erythrocytes. The serum is added to the sample and then erythrocytes. To determine the agglutination between the test cells and panel cells, you require being someone with incredible skills.
Although antibody identification can be a complex process depending on the method and the purpose, reading online materials, tutorials, and assignments have helped build my confidence. Increased confidence is essential as it gives one a clear perspective on different problem-solving techniques. However, even with the numerous notes and assignments, I still have some questions regarding antibody identification.
However, learning such a concept would not leave some questions behind. One of the questions revolves around the flawed science of antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 immunity. During the initial usage of the technology, experts believed that they would use it to ease lockdowns and restore normalcy to people’s livelihoods. However, with time, it became apparent that the immunity resulting from having Covid-19 antibodies was not guaranteed (Xiang et al., 2020). Why do health experts seem to be against the idea of individuals testing to see if they have reacted to the vaccine or developed immunity?
Antibody identification is one of the most interesting concepts to learn in the medical field. Although it might sound complex and intimidating during the initial phases, the truth is that with determination and extensive studying, anyone can easily grasp the concept. Moreover, considering the critical role of antibody detection, it is an essential concept for anyone in the medical field to learn. With the availability of tutorials and online resources, that should not be a complex concept to understand.
Reference
Xiang, F., Wang, X., He, X., Peng, Z., Yang, B., Zhang, J.,… & Ma, W. L. (2020). Antibody detection and dynamic characteristics in patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 71(8), 1930-1934. Web.