COMPLEMENT FIXATION TESTS Meaning and
Definition
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Complement Fixation Tests (CFTs) are laboratory diagnostic techniques used to determine the presence of specific antibodies or antigens in a patient's blood sample. These tests are primarily employed to diagnose and identify infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms.
The principle behind complement fixation tests revolves around the interaction between the complement system and the specific antigen-antibody complexes. The complement system is a group of proteins that are part of the innate immune response and play a vital role in the defense against pathogens. When an antigen binds to its corresponding antibody, a specific antibody-antigen complex is formed. In the presence of complement proteins, this complex triggers a series of reactions known as the complement cascade.
During a complement fixation test, the patient's serum is mixed with known antigens and complement proteins. If the patient has antibodies against the specific antigen, they will bind to it, forming antigen-antibody complexes. The remaining complement proteins are then added, and if the patient's serum contains antibodies against the antigen, the complement system will be activated and used up in the reaction. Consequently, there will be no complement left to react with additional complement proteins in a subsequent step. This lack of complement fixation demonstrates that the patient's sample contains the specific antibodies against the tested antigen.
Complement fixation tests are often employed in the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as syphilis, toxoplasmosis, and viral infections like influenza. They provide a reliable method for detecting the presence of specific antibodies and determining the immune response to particular pathogens.
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