59 Glossary Antibody repertoire: the collective of all antibodies in a person. Typically characterized by BCRseq, which reveals the DNA sequences encoding the antibodies but not their functional consequences of antigens recognized. Antibody epitope repertoire: the collective of actual structures recognized by the antibody repertoire of a person. Antigen: a substance, either of foreign or human origin, capable of eliciting an immune response, i.e. activating immune cells to exert their immunological functions. B cell receptor (BCR) sequence: the DNA sequence within B cells that encodes antibodies. BCR sequences are generated by random VDJ recombination and somatic hypermutation to increase affinity to antigens. Epitope: a part of an antigen that represents the binding site of that antigen to a specific antigen receptor where binding only occurs when the structures of both are complementary to each other. Humoral immunity: the parts of the immune system that freely circulate or are present outside of human cells. It deals with (mostly foreign) antigens and is regulated by molecules such as antibodies, complement proteins and antimicrobial peptides. Also known as ‘antibody-mediated immunity’. Precision medicine: healthcare actions that are tailored to the basis of an individual’s biology (e.g. genetics, immune system), lifestyle (e.g. dietary habits) and environment. Sensitivity: the probability of a positive result to a given test, conditioned on truly having the condition that is tested for. Specificity: the probability of a given test correctly identifying individuals who do not have the condition tested for. Antibody signatures in IBD: developments and applications
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