FREE Medical Laboratory Technician Immunology and Serology Questions and Answers Flashcards
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Read the first 6 FREE Medical Laboratory Technician Immunology and Serology Questions and Answers flashcards as text
Which type of hypersensitivity reaction is responsible for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN)?
Answer: Type II (cytotoxic)
HDFN is a Type II hypersensitivity reaction in which maternal IgG antibodies cross the placenta and destroy fetal red blood cells.
What is the purpose of adding anti-human globulin (AHG) reagent in the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT)?
Answer: To detect IgG antibodies that have bound to red blood cells during in vitro incubation
AHG crosslinks IgG molecules coating the red blood cells, causing visible agglutination that confirms antibody binding during incubation.
A laboratory performs a fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test. This test is classified as which type of syphilis test?
Answer: Treponemal confirmatory test
FTA-ABS is a treponemal test that detects specific antibodies against Treponema pallidum and is used to confirm reactive non-treponemal screening results.
In flow cytometry, what is the function of the forward scatter (FSC) detector?
Answer: To measure relative cell size
Forward scatter is proportional to cell size, allowing differentiation of cell populations based on their relative dimensions.
Which autoantibody is most specific for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)?
Answer: Anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA)
Anti-dsDNA antibodies are highly specific for SLE and their titers often correlate with disease activity, particularly lupus nephritis.
What principle does an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) use to detect the presence of an analyte in a sample?
Answer: Enzyme-conjugated antibodies produce a measurable color change upon substrate addition
ELISA uses enzyme-labeled antibodies that convert a chromogenic substrate into a colored product, with intensity proportional to the analyte concentration.