Equivalence Zone

The equivalence zone is the range of quantitative ratios of antigens and antibodies in which immune complexes have the greatest precipitating and complement-binding ability. In the equivalence zone, the entire amount of introduced antigens and antibodies is involved in the reaction of precipitation or complement fixation. This means that when the antigen/antibody ratio is close to the equivalence zone, the immune complex will have the greatest ability to form and stabilize.

In the equivalence zone, antigens and antibodies are in a certain ratio, which depends on the properties of the antigen and antibody, as well as on the reaction conditions. For example, one antigen may require more antibodies than another. In addition, the equivalence zone may vary depending on temperature, pH and other factors.

The equivalence zone plays an important role in immunology because it determines the effectiveness of the immune response. With the right ratio of antigens and antibodies, the immune system can effectively fight infection or other pathogens. However, if the antigen/antibody ratio is outside the equivalence zone, the immune response may be weak or ineffective.

To determine the equivalence zone, various methods are used, such as precipitation, complement fixation and others. These methods allow you to determine the optimal ratio of antigens and antibodies to achieve maximum efficiency of the immune response.

The equivalence zone is a range of quantitative relationships between antigens and antibodies, which characterizes the ability of biological systems to form stable connections between them. In cases where the antigen/antibody ratio corresponds to the equivalence zone, the formation of immune complexes occurs, which have a maximum ability to precipitate (sediment) and bind complement. Such complexes form a complex composition consisting of various antigenic and immunoglobulin components.

One example of an equivalence zone is the precipitation reaction. This reaction is used to determine the amount of antibodies in blood serum or the concentration of antigenic impurities in test samples. An important aspect of the reaction is that there is exact equivalence between the amount of antigen and the amount of antibody present in the system. If the amount of antigen or antibody exceeds the equivalence zone, the reaction may become too strong and will not result in the formation of an immune complex.

Also, the equivalence zone plays an important role in biopharmacology and immune therapy. For example, some drugs contain doses of antibodies that can penetrate capillaries and reach specific areas of the tumor or bacteria, where they can form an immune complex and cause the death of microorganisms. The optimal dosage of antibodies is determined by the equivalence zone in such cases.

At the same time, an excessive increase in the dose of antibodies can also lead to undesirable

A person interacts with the immune system every day - viruses attack, pathogenic bacteria or fungi penetrate, and an allergic reaction is triggered. And for all this she needs her “specialties,” so to speak. Some specialize in unpleasant and extremely dangerous exotics, while others prefer a relatively peaceful life in the host’s tissues. And there are also universal soldiers in the immune system - these are T-lymphocytes. The main purpose of such cells is to detect and destroy those same universal soldiers of another enemy - cells carrying foreign proteins (antigens). That is, to put it simply, the immune system fights infections and other diseases based on the introduction of antigens (foreign protein structures) into the body. Ideally, a person’s anti-infective immunity works correctly, and no one in the house is allowed to live at someone else’s expense.

They entrusted their internal surveillance to the immune system. However, there is always something new in the human body that has not yet been included in the database (a foreign guest at an international forum or simply the appearance of a new virus). The traditional way, through the recognition of antigens by lymphocytes and their fixation on a foreign cell (antigen-presenting), will not work here. Non-standard ways are required to “get” the immune system, inform it about the violation of boundaries and problems with registration in the database. For these purposes, the immune system comes in handy with a doping factor - a signaling molecular “irritant”. It is during events that it is called an inflammatory mediator, and already due to the fact of chronic inflammation, the word “cytokines” has taken root. Formula 1 did something similar - at the Lagoria race, sponsors distribute “race seasoning” to team members. Substance not pov