| acquired sensitivity | 1. <immunology> A state of hypersensitivity induced by exposure to a particular antigen (allergen) resulting in harmful immunologic reactions on subsequent exposures, the term is usually used to refer to hypersensitivity to an environmental antigen (atopic allergy or contact dermatitis) or to drug allergy. The original meaning, now obsolete, included all states of altered immunologic reactivity, immunity as well as hypersensitivity. Gell and Coombs used the term allergic reaction to mean any harmful immunologic reaction causing tissue injury. 2. <study> The medical specialty dealing with diagnosis and treatment of allergic disorders. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| analytical sensitivity | The degree of response to a change in concentration of analyte being measured in an assay; synonymous with the detection limit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antibiotic sensitivity | Microbial susceptibility to antibiotics. See: antibiotic sensitivity test, minimal inhibitory concentration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antibiotic sensitivity test | The in vitro testing of bacterial cultures with antibiotics to determine susceptibility of bacteria to antibiotic therapy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pacemaker sensitivity | The minimum cardiac activity required to consistently trigger a pulse generator. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative sensitivity | The sensitivity of a medical screening test as determined by comparison with the same type of test; e.g., sensitivity of a new serological test relative to sensitivity of an established serological test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chemotherapy drug sensitivity test | <investigation> A test to assess a cancerous tissue's response and vulnerability to chemotherapy drugs. This test can help predict a patients response to treatment and suggest which drugs may be useful. (16 Dec 1997) |
| microbial sensitivity tests | Any tests that demonstrate the relative efficacy of different chemotherapeutic agents against specific microorganisms (i.e., bacteria, fungi, viruses). (12 Dec 1998) |
| photoallergic sensitivity | See: photosensitization. (05 Mar 2000) |
| phototoxic sensitivity | See: photosensitization. (05 Mar 2000) |
| clinical sensitivity | Test positivity in disease; ability of a test to correctly identify disease. See: diagnostic sensitivity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| multiple chemical sensitivity | An acquired disorder characterised by recurrent symptoms, referable to multiple organ systems, occurring in response to demonstrable exposure to many chemically unrelated compounds at doses far below those established in the general population to cause harmful effects. No single widely accepted test of physiologic function can be shown to correlate with symptoms. (cullen mr. The worker with multiple chemical sensitivities: an overview. Occup med 1987;2(4):655-61) (12 Dec 1998) |
| mumps sensitivity test | A skin test for sensitivity to mumps, in which inactivated mumps virus is used as antigen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| contact sensitivity | Allergic response to contact with irritant, usually a hypersensitivity. (18 Nov 1997) |
| primaquine sensitivity | Nonimmunological inborn sensitivity to primaquine, causing haemolysis on exposure to the drug, due to deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in red cells. (05 Mar 2000) |