All articles starting with I

Immunoglobulin E

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the antibody isotype mediating immediate hypersensitivity and allergy, discovered by the Ishizakas and Bennich/Johansson and named by the WHO in 1968; lowest serum concentration of all isotypes, binds Fc-epsilon-RI and CD23.

Immunoglobulin G

Immunoglobulin G (IgG), the major human antibody class, 10–20% of plasma protein, with subclasses IgG1–IgG4; the only antibody crossing the placenta via FcRn and the basis of IVIG and most antibody therapeutics.

Immunoglobulin light chain

Immunoglobulin light chain (kappa or lambda): the ~22 kDa antibody subunit paired with heavy chains; free light chains and the κ/λ ratio are central biomarkers for AL amyloidosis diagnosis.

Immunoglobulin M

Immunoglobulin M (IgM), or macroglobulin, is the largest antibody isotype, secreted as pentamers or hexamers with 10 or 12 binding sites and a J chain. First antibody in B cell development and primary responses, potent complement activator, used in acute infection serology.

Immunoglobulin therapy

Immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG, SCIG, IMIG) is pooled-donor IgG used since Bruton's 1952 first use to replace antibodies in immunodeficiency and, since Imbach's 1981 observation, to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as ITP, Kawasaki disease, and CIDP.

Immunoglobulin V-set domain

Immunoglobulin V-set domain: the 9-strand beta-sandwich Ig fold variant found in antibody VH/VL and TCR variable domains and many receptors, carrying CDR loops for antigen binding, distinct from C1, C2, and I-set IgSF domains.

Immunoglobulin-like domain

Immunoglobulin-like (Ig) domain, also called Ig-set or IgSF domain: a 70–110 amino acid beta-sandwich protein fold of the immunoglobulin superfamily, in V, I, C1, and C2 sets, stabilized by a B–F disulfide bond.

Immunogold labeling

Immunogold labeling is an electron microscopy technique that uses antibodies attached to colloidal gold particles to detect and localize specific antigens in cells, tissues, and viral particles.

Immunohematology

Immunohematology, or blood group serology, is the laboratory study of red cell blood group antigens and antibodies for transfusion medicine, built on hemagglutination testing, reference-laboratory antibody identification, and DNA-based blood group genotyping.

Immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemistry (IHC), or immunohistochemical staining, is a laboratory method that uses antibody-bound enzymes or fluorescent dyes to detect antigens in tissue, widely used to diagnose cancer.

Immunoisolation

Immunoisolation is an affinity purification method that uses antibodies on magnetic beads, plates, or columns to capture specific cells, organelles, or vesicles from complex biological mixtures for analysis.

Immunolabeling

Immunolabeling is a bench biology method that uses antibodies to detect and visualize specific antigens in cells or tissue sections, yielding fluorescence images or chromogenic stains such as DAB.

Immunologic Contraception

Immunologic contraception (immunocontraception) uses vaccines against reproductive antigens such as zona pellucida proteins, sperm antigens, GnRH, or hCG to block fertility; established for wildlife since 1988, still unproven for humans.

Immunologic Cytotoxicity Tests

Immunologic cytotoxicity tests are laboratory assays showing how lymphocytes, antibodies, or complement damage target cells, covering cell-mediated killing assays and antibody-mediated crossmatches used to prevent transplant rejection.

Immunologic Graft Enhancement

Immunologic graft enhancement (immunologic enhancement of grafts): prolonged allograft survival induced by graft-specific antibody, passively via donor antibodies masking graft antigens or actively via recipient immunization blocking T-cell cytotoxicity; discovered in tumor transplantation.

Immunologic Memory

Immunologic memory: enhanced immune response on pathogen re-exposure. Adaptive form via memory T cells, B cells, plasma cells; innate form termed trained immunity, epigenetic reprogramming of NK cells and monocytes/macrophages.

Immunologic Monitoring

Immunologic monitoring (immune monitoring, MeSH D015166): testing of immune status in diagnosis and therapy of cancer, immunodeficiency, autoimmune disease, and transplantation, using humoral assays, flow and mass cytometry, and functional T-cell assays.

Immunologic Pregnancy Tests

Immunologic pregnancy tests detect hCG in urine or serum using antigen-antibody reactions, beginning with the 1960 Wide-Gemzell hemagglutination inhibition test and evolving through RIA, latex agglutination, and enzyme immunoassay into modern home tests.

Immunologic Tests

Immunologic tests, also called immunodiagnosis or serologic tests, are antibody-antigen-based diagnostic assays, spanning ELISA, radioimmunoassay, agglutination, and lateral flow immunoassay formats used for pregnancy, infection, hormone, and drug detection.

Immunology

Immunology: the study of the immune system, its innate and adaptive divisions, immunological memory, and diseases of dysregulation; founded in the late 1800s via phagocytosis and antibody discoveries.

Immunomagnetic separation

Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) is a bench technique that uses antibody-coated magnetic beads to capture target cells, bacteria, or vesicles, underlying commercial platforms such as Dynabeads and MACS.

Immunomic Therapeutics

Immunomic Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company in Rockville, Maryland. It develops nucleic-acid immunotherapies through its UNITE platform, currently running Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials.

Immunopathology of schistosomiasis

Immunopathology of schistosomiasis is the study of how disease in schistosome infections arises from the host's immune response to parasite eggs, which drives granulomas and liver fibrosis.

Immunoperoxidase staining

Immunoperoxidase staining is a histology method that detects specific antigens in tissue sections using antibodies linked to horseradish peroxidase, leaving a permanent brown precipitate visible under a light microscope.

ImmunoPET

ImmunoPET is a molecular imaging method in nuclear medicine that pairs radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies with PET to measure where a target accumulates in a patient.

ImmunoPET imaging

ImmunoPET imaging is a molecular imaging method in nuclear medicine that uses radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and PET to map targets such as HER2 and PD-L1 across all lesions at once, mainly in oncology.

Immunophenotyping

Immunophenotyping is a laboratory assay that identifies and quantifies immune cells by their protein markers, usually via flow cytometry, underpinning leukemia classification, HIV CD4 monitoring, and MRD follow-up.

Immunoprecipitation

Immunoprecipitation (IP), including co-IP, ChIP, and RIP, is an affinity chromatography method that uses a bead-immobilized antibody to purify a target protein or its bound partners from complex mixtures for western blot or mass spectrometry analysis.

Immunoproteasome

Immunoproteasome: an IFN-γ/TNF-α-inducible proteasome variant replacing β1, β2, β5 with β1i/LMP2, β2i/MECL-1, β5i/LMP7, optimized for MHC-I antigen presentation; targeted by selective inhibitors like ONX 0914.