immunmarkern

Immunmarkern (literally "the immune marker") is a general term for molecules, cells or measured features used to detect, quantify or characterize immune system activity. Such markers are central in immunology research, clinical diagnostics and the development of immunotherapies. They can indicate the presence of particular immune cell types, activation states, inflammatory responses or pathogen-specific immunity.

Common categories include cell-surface markers (for example CD antigens used to identify lymphocyte subsets), soluble proteins (cytokines, chemokines, complement factors), antibodies, and molecular signatures detected by nucleic acid assays. Laboratory methods for detecting immunmarkern encompass flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), multiplex bead assays, mass cytometry and next-generation sequencing–based immune profiling.

Clinically, immunmarkern assist in diagnosing autoimmune diseases, infections and hematologic malignancies, in stratifying prognosis, and in predicting or monitoring response to vaccines and immunotherapies. They are also used to study immune aging and inflammatory biomarkers in chronic disease.

Limitations include biological variability, lack of absolute specificity for some markers, preanalytical and analytical variability, and the need for standardized assays and reference ranges. Emerging approaches aim to combine multiplexed protein assays, single-cell technologies and computational analysis to produce more comprehensive and actionable immune profiles.