IgA

(noun)

immunoglobulin A is an antibody isotype.

Related Terms

  • IgG
  • passive immunity

Examples of IgA in the following topics:

  • Natural Passive Immunity

    • The transfered IgG from mother to fetus during pregnancy generally lasts 4 to 6 months after birth.
    • Passive immunity can also be in the form of IgA and IgG found in human colostrum and milk of babies who are nursed.
    • In addition to the IgA and IgG, human milk also contains: oligosaccharides and mucins that adhere to bacteria and viruses to interfere with their attachment to host cells; lactoferrin to bind iron and make it unavailable to most bacteria; B12 binding protein to deprive bacteria of needed vitamin B12; bifidus factor that promotes the growth of Lactobacillus bifidus, normal flora in the gastrointestinal tract of infants that crowds out harmful bacteria; fibronectin that increases the antimicrobial activity of macrophages and helps repair tissue damage from infection in the gastrointestinal tract; gamma-interferon, a cytokine that enhances the activity of certain immune cells; hormones and growth factors that stimulate the baby's gastrointestinal tract to mature faster and be less susceptible to infection; and lysozyme to break down peptidoglycan in bacterial cell walls.
    • The dimeric IgA molecule.1 H-chain2 L-chain3 J-chain4 secretory component.
    • IgA antibodies are transferred from mother to child in colostrum and milk and confer passive immunity.
  • Antibody Structure

    • Antibodies can be divided into five classes (IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE) based on their physiochemical, structural, and immunological properties.
    • IgA and IgD also have three constant domains per heavy chain, whereas IgM and IgE each have four constant domains per heavy chain.
    • A small amount of IgA is also secreted into the serum in monomeric form.
    • Similarly to IgM, IgA molecules are secreted as polymeric structures linked with a J chain.
    • However, IgAs are secreted mostly as dimeric molecules, not pentamers.
  • Type III (Immune Complex) Reactions

    • Immune complex glomerulonephritis, as seen in Henoch-Schönlein purpura is an example of IgA involvement in a nephropathy.
    • Hence, vasculitis, glomerulonephritis and arthritis are commonly-associated conditions as a result of type III hypersensitivity responses.
    • An immune complex is formed from the integral binding of an antibody to a soluble antigen.
    • The bound antigen acting as a specific epitope, bound to an antibody, is referred to as a singular immune complex.
    • Immune Complex Glomerulonephritis, as seen in Henoch-Schönlein purpura; this is an example of IgA involvement in a nephropathy.
  • Physiology of Lactation

    • In some other mammals, the male may produce milk as the result of a hormone imbalance.
    • It is not a medical concern if a pregnant woman leaks any colostrum before her baby's birth, nor is it an indication of future milk production.
    • Colostrum is the first milk a breastfed baby receives.
    • It contains higher amounts of white blood cells and antibodies than mature milk, and is especially high in immunoglobulin A (IgA), which coats the lining of the baby's immature intestines, and helps to prevent pathogens from invading the baby's system.
    • Secretory IgA also helps prevent food allergies.
  • Isotype Class Switching

    • In placental mammals there are five antibody isotypes: IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG and IgM.
    • Immature B cells, which have never been exposed to an antigen, are known as naïve B cells and express only the IgM isotype in a cell surface bound form.
    • If these activated B cells encounter specific signaling molecules via their CD40 and cytokine receptors (both modulated by T helper cells), they undergo antibody class switching to produce IgG, IgA or IgE antibodies (from IgM or IgD) that have defined roles in the immune system.
    • Immunoglobulin class switching (or isotype switching, or isotypic commutation, or class switch recombination (CSR)) is a biological mechanism that changes a B cell's production of antibody from one class to another; for example, from an isotype called IgM to an isotype called IgG.
    • IgG1, IgG2 etc.).
  • Antibodies: Classes and Affinity Maturation

    • Isotype or class switching is a biological process occurring after activation of the B cell, allowing the cell to produce different classes of antibodies (IgA, IgE, or IgG) .
    • Initially, naïve B cells express only cell-surface IgM and IgD with identical antigen binding regions.
    • Each isotype is adapted for a distinct function.
    • After activation, accordingly, an antibody with a IgG, IgA, or IgE effector function might be summoned to effectively eliminate an antigen.
    • Intravenous immunoglobulin, if not otherwise noted, consists of polyvalent IgG.
  • Normal Microbiota and Host Relationships

    • The host has a variety of defenses that it uses to prevent infection.
    • An example of such a change is a fever.
    • Different interferons (IgA, IgG, IgM, etc. ) play roles in defeating viruses located in our membranes.
    • The body does not easily become a host to infection; it has a line up of defenses to try to protect you from harm.
    • This is a magnified view of Escherichia coli (or E. coli).
  • Development of the Immune System

    • At birth most of the immunoglobulin is present is maternal IgG.
    • Because IgM, IgD, IgE and IgA don't cross the placenta, they are almost undetectable at birth.
    • Although some IgA is provided in breast milk.
    • These antibodies can also produce a negative response.
    • If a child is exposed to the antibody for a particular antigen before being exposed to the antigen itself then the child will produce a dampened response.
  • Structure and Function of Antibodies

    • IgA: A dimer that is secreted into mucosal surfaces, such as the gut, respiratory tract, and urogenital tract, and prevents mucosal invasion into the body by pathogens.
    • IgD: Functions mainly as an antigen receptor on B cells that have not been exposed to antigens.
    • IgM: Expressed on the surface of B cells (monomer) and in a secreted pentamer with very high avidity.
    • Eliminates pathogens in the early stages of B cell mediated (humoral) immunity before there is sufficient IgG.
    • Like IgG, it can also activate the classical complement system.
  • Antibody Functions

    • For instance, a person who has recently produced a successful immune response against a particular disease agent can donate blood to a non-immune recipient, confering temporary immunity through antibodies in the donor's blood serum.
    • In another process, complement fixation, IgM and IgG in serum bind to antigens, providing docking sites onto which sequential complement proteins can bind.
    • An antibody with a higher affinity for a particular antigen would bind more strongly and stably.
    • The term avidity describes binding by antibody classes that are secreted as joined, multivalent structures (such as IgM and IgA).
    • Typically, multimeric antibodies, such as pentameric IgM, are classified as having lower affinity than monomeric antibodies, but high avidity.
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