Antibodies production time course

Figure 10.2. Time course of antibody production in the serum of animals following exposure to antigen. Within the first week of immunization with or exposure to an antigen, the initial typical response will be in the form of IgM, which subsides within two weeks. The IgM antibody is replaced by an IgG response that can be enhanced by additional doses of antigen. Typically serum antibody levels will subside within 2 to 4 weeks when no additional antigen remains in the system.

Elucidation of the primary structure of PBAN opened up a new field of research with immense possibilities. The exact site and the specific neurosecretory cells that produce PBAN need to be identified. We also need to determine where, when, and how PBAN is released. Development of antibodies for their use in immunohistochemistry should prove useful. A radioimmunoassay for PBAN will be useful to more precisely detect the hormone in various tissues such as hemolymph, and follow the time-course of release and determine PBAN titer at various times of the day. Identification of the receptors for PBAN is crucial to the study of its mechanism of action (how does PBAN induce pheromone production ). 

Time-course The time-course of production of heparin-induced antibodies has been studied in 435 patients receiving heparin thromboprophylaxis [76 ]. Antibodies formed in 56%, and in over 90% of cases they appeared at 4-14 days. After reaching maximum reactivity by days 10-12, the antibody titers fell, despite heparin continuation, even in two patients with HIT. Individual IgG, IgA, and IgM classes had identical times of onset (median day 6). Most of the antibody-positive patients (59%) developed all three immunoglobulin classes only 11% lacked an IgG response, and all three immunoglobulins usually increased simultaneously. 

FIGURE 1.19 (A, B) B5-fixed section of bone marrow aspirate depicting a small solitary nodule consisting of lymphocytes and occasional plas-macytoid lymphocytes, with scattered plasma cells around it. Many of the lymphoid and plasmacytoid cells reacted strongly with anti-lambda antibody (A). Anti-kappa reacted only with scattered plasma cells outside the nodule (B, small black dots). This patient eventually was shown to have a solitary plasmacytoid lymphocytic lymphoma in the small intestine (also lambda type). Paraffin sections, DAB with hematoxylin counterstain (xl 25). There was no serum paraprotein detectable at this time presumably the number of tumor cells was insufficient for production of a detectable paraprotein however, a "monoclonal" IgM appeared later in the course. From Taylor CR, Cote Rj. Immunomicroscopy A Diagnostic Tool for the Surgical Pathologist 2nd ed. Philadelphia WB Saunders 1994 59. 

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