Isotype (immunology)

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Some antibodies form complexes that bind to multiple antigen molecules.

In immunology, the "immunoglobulin isotype" refers to the genetic variations or differences in the constant region of the heavy chain of the Ig (immunoglobulins)classes and sub-classes. In humans, there are nine isotypes:

heavy chain
- α - IgA 1, 2
- δ - IgD
- γ - IgG 1, 2, 3, 4
- ε - IgE
- μ - IgM
light chain
- κ
- λ

Immunoglobulin class switching can be used to change the class of the heavy chain, but not of the light chain.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

MeSH Immunoglobulin+Isotypes
Isotype at eMedicine Dictionary
Overview at University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Overview at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

v • d • e Immune system / Immunology

Systems	Adaptive vs. Innate · Humoral vs. Cellular · Complement (Anaphylatoxins) · Intrinsic

Antigens and antibodies	Antigen (Superantigen, Allergen) · Hapten Epitope (Linear, Conformational) Antibody (Monoclonal antibodies, Polyclonal antibodies, Autoantibody) · Polyclonal B cell response · Allotype · Isotype · Idiotype Immune complex

Immune cells/White blood cells	Lymphoid: T cell · B cell · NK cell Myeloid: Mast cell · Basophil · Eosinophil · Macrophage Phagocytes: Neutrophil · Macrophage/Reticuloendothelial system Professional APCs: Dendritic cell · Macrophage · B cell

Immunity vs. tolerance	action: Immunity · Autoimmunity · Allergy · Inflammation · Cross-reactivity inaction: Tolerance (Central, Peripheral, Clonal anergy, Clonal deletion) · Immunodeficiency

Immunogenetics	Somatic hypermutation · V(D)J recombination · Immunoglobulin class switching · MHC/HLA

Substances	Cytokines · Opsonin · Cytolysin

Other	Diagnostic immunology

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