What is the Difference Between Complete and Incomplete Antibodies?

Complete and incomplete antibodies are two types of antibodies that differ in their ability to participate in agglutination reactions, which are essential for various diagnostic test procedures. The main differences between complete and incomplete antibodies are:

1. Agglutination: Complete antibodies can cause agglutination, which is the clumping of red blood cells when combined with their specific antigen. Incomplete antibodies, on the other hand, do not result in agglutination when combined with the same antigen.
2. Antigen-binding ability: Complete antibodies can bind to the antigenic sites of the red blood cells, while incomplete antibodies can only partially block these sites.
3. IgM and IgG: Complete antibodies are typically of the IgM class, while incomplete antibodies are of the IgG class.
4. Diagnostic test procedures: Complete and incomplete antibodies have different diagnostic test procedures. For example, the Coombs' test is used to determine the presence or absence of incomplete antibodies in a sample.

Despite these differences, both complete and incomplete antibodies share some similarities:

• They are both composed of B cells.
• They both show high specificity.
• They both recognize the antigen of a foreign cell.
• They are both used in in vitro diagnostic test procedures, particularly to determine the onset of diseases.
• Samples such as serum or blood can be used for diagnostic tests of these antibodies.

Comparative Table: Complete vs Incomplete Antibodies

Here is a table summarizing the differences between complete and incomplete antibodies: