| immunological tolerance | <immunology> Specific unresponsiveness to antigen. Self tolerance is a process occurring normally early in life due to suppression of self reactive lymphocyte clones. Tolerance to foreign antigens can be induced in adult life by exposure to antigens under conditions in which specific clones are suppressed. Note that tolerance is not the same as immunological unresponsiveness, since the latter may be very non-specific as in immunodeficiency states. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| immunologically activated cell | An immunocyte that is in an elevated state of reactivity capable of carrying out an immune response, in contradistinction to an immunologically competent cell. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunologically competent cell | A small lymphocyte capable of being immunologically activated by exposure to a substance that is antigenic (immunogenic) for the respective cell; activation involves either the capacity to produce antibody or the capacity to participate in cell-mediated immunity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunologically privileged sites | Sites where allografts are not readily rejected, probably because these particular areas have poor lymphatic drainage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunologist | <specialist> A specialist practiced in the treatment of allergic disease and those disease processes that involve dysfunction of the immune system. (27 Sep 1997) |
| immunology | <study> A subfield of biology that deals with the study of antigens and the immuneprocess and how humans and higher animals fight off disease. (09 Oct 1997) |
| immunomagnetic separation | A cell-separation technique where magnetizable microspheres or beads are first coated with monoclonal antibody, allowed to search and bind to target cells, and are then selectively removed when passed through a magnetic field. Among other applications, the technique is commonly used to remove tumour cells from the marrow of patients who are to undergo autologous bone marrow transplantation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| immunomodulator | <immunology> A drug such as interleukin-2 that alters, suppresses or strengthens the bodys immune system. (09 Oct 1997) |
| immunomodulatory | 1. Capable of modifying or regulating one or more immune functions. 2. An immunological adjustment, regulation, or potentiation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunopathology | <study> A branch of medicine that deals with the study of how the body fights offdisease and the study of immunodeficiencydiseases. (09 Oct 1997) |
| immunoperoxidase | Analogous to indirect fluorescent antibody in that antibody presence is identified on antigenic substrates visually. However, in the indirect immunoperoxidase instead of fluorescent dye-antibody conjugates, enzyme-antibody conjugates (principally peroxidase enzymes) are reacted with their corresponding substrates to produce a product which can be seen with a light microscope, eliminating the requirement for costly fluorescent microscopic equipment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunoperoxidase technique | An immunologic test that utilises antibodies chemically conjugated to the enzyme peroxidase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunophenotyping | Process of classifying cells of the immune system based on structural and functional differences. The process is commonly used to analyze and sort T-lymphocytes into subsets based on CD antigens by the technique of flow cytometry. (12 Dec 1998) |
| immunophilin | <protein> Generic term for intracellular protein that binds immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporin, FK506, rapamycin. Both cyclophilin and the receptor for FK506 are peptidyl prolyl cis trans isomerases rotamases). Immunophilins are thought to interact with calcineurin. (18 Nov 1997) |
| immunopotentiation | Enhancement of the immune response by increasing its rate or prolonging its duration. (05 Mar 2000) |