Chemicals and Drugs

Immunoglobulins

Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Narrower headings

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

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Drug Class

Pharmacological Action

MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

5 entry terms
  • Globulins, Immune
  • Immune Globulin
  • Immune Globulins
  • Immunoglobulin
  • Globulin, Immune

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

24 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings administration & dosage, adverse effects, analysis, biosynthesis, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemistry, classification, deficiency, drug effects, economics, genetics, history, immunology, isolation & purification, metabolism, pharmacology, physiology, poisoning, radiation effects, therapeutic use, toxicity, ultrastructure, urine.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

general: prefer specifics; /admin: consider also IMMUNOGLOBULINS, INTRAVENOUS; /defic permitted but consider also IMMUNOLOGIC DEFICIENCY SYNDROMES ; /ther use: consider also IMMUNOGLOBULIN THERAPY see IMMUNIZATION, PASSIVE; allotypes = IMMUNOGLOBULIN ALLOTYPES or specifics

MeSH Record

History Note

72(70); IMMUNE SERUM GLOBULIN was heading 1965; GLOBULINS, IMMUNE & IMMUNE GLOBULINS were see IMMUNOGLOBULINS, INTRAVENOUS 1992-93

MeSH Record

Previous Indexing

  • Gamma Globulins (1966-1969)

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. D12.776w.124w.486.485
  2. D12.776w.124w.790.651
  3. D12.776w.377w.715.548

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

QW 601

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Immunoglobulins. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D007136. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D007136
  2. Immunoglobulins. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q66559285