Immunology

• Autoimmunity
• Immunochemistry

In this field, the role of biology is essential for the diagnosis and follow-up of numerous pathologies such as connective tissue diseases, vasculitis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), lymphoid and lymphoplasmacytic blood diseases as well as food or respiratory allergies.

Autoimmunity

An autoimmune reaction may develop against many autoantigens present in our body, which accounts for the diversity of autoantibodies available for research. The different types of AID fall into two main categories: organ non-specific and organ-specific. The non-specific AID are generally connective tissue diseases and they are associated with a wide variety of clinical symptoms. The organ-specific AID target the antigens of a single organ.

Eurofins Biomnis can detect over 100 different autoantibodies, including rare or newly discovered types found in myositis, neurological diseases, blistering skin diseases…

Their laboratory uses several techniques to assist in the biological diagnosis of AID: indirect immunofluorescence, the Luminex technology on the Bio-Plex platform, immunoassays, immunoblots… The results are provided on Day 0 for the most common parameters and in less than a week for most of the rare autoantibodies.

The laboratory personnel includes members of the SFI (Société Française d’Immunologie; French Society of Immunology) and the EASI (European Autoimmunity Standardization Initiative).

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Immunochemistry

Multiple pathologies are diagnosed and monitored using protein studies: monoclonal gammopathies, inflammatory syndromes, immune deficiencies, kidney diseases, multiple sclerosis, etc.

The screening, identification, and follow-up of monoclonal dysglobulinemia (gammopathies involving Ig G, A, M, D, E and the kappa/lambda free light chains) are performed by capillary electrophoresis, immunoelectrophoresis or immunofixation of serum and urinary proteins. Urinary proteins are also analysed, with or without dilutions, using high-resolution agarose electrophoresis and immunofixation. Specific assays are performed for serum and urinary proteins by immunonephelometry and immunoturbidimetry, especially for immunoglobulins and the kappa/lambda free light chains.

The proteins of the cerebrospinal fluid are analysed using the reference method of isoelectric focussing, which generates a profile of IgG oligoclonal bands (OCBs). Eurofins Biomnis collaborates with the CNR (Centre National de Référence; National Reference Center) for the diagnosis of heavy chain diseases.

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