| immune agglutinin | 1. An antibody that causes clumping or agglutination of the bacteria or other cells which either stimulated the formation of the agglutinin, or contain immunologically similar, reactive antigen. Synonym: agglutinating antibody, immune agglutinin. 2. A substance, other than a specific agglutinating antibody, that causes organic particles to agglutinate, commonly qualified, e.g., plant agglutinin. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| immune complex | <immunology> Multimolecular antibody antigen complexes that may be soluble or insoluble depending upon their size and whether or not complement is present. Immune complexes can be filtered from plasma in the kidney and the deposition of the complexes gives rise to glomerulonephritis probably because of the trapping of neutrophils via their Fc receptors. (18 Nov 1997) |
| immune complex disease | An immunologic category of diseases evoked by the deposition of antigen-antibody or antigen-antibody-complement complexes on cell surfaces, with subsequent involvement of breakdown products of complement, platelets, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and development of vasculitis; nephritis is common. Arthus phenomenon and serum sickness are classic examples, but many other disorders, including most of the connective tissue disease's, may belong in this immunologic category; immune complex disease's can also occur during a variety of disease's of known aetiology, such as subacute bacterial endocarditis. See: autoimmune disease. Synonym: immune complex disorder, type III hypersensitivity reaction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune complex diseases | Diseases characterised by the presence of immune complexes in body fluids. Hypersensitivity of the Arthus type and serum sickness are examples. (18 Nov 1997) |
| immune complex disorder | An immunologic category of diseases evoked by the deposition of antigen-antibody or antigen-antibody-complement complexes on cell surfaces, with subsequent involvement of breakdown products of complement, platelets, and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and development of vasculitis; nephritis is common. Arthus phenomenon and serum sickness are classic examples, but many other disorders, including most of the connective tissue disease's, may belong in this immunologic category; immune complex disease's can also occur during a variety of disease's of known aetiology, such as subacute bacterial endocarditis. See: autoimmune disease. Synonym: immune complex disorder, type III hypersensitivity reaction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune complex glomerulonephritis | Immune complexes are deposited in the renal glomerulus where they bind complement and initiate an inflammatory process attracting neutrophils and macrophages resulting in an alteration of the basement layer of the kidney. The disease state can lead to ultimate destruction of the glomerulus and renal failure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune complex nephritis | An immune complex disease resulting from glomerular deposits, as in systemic lupus erythematosus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune deficiency | Impaired ability of the bodys defence mechanisms to combat infections by bacteria, viruses and fungi. (13 Nov 1997) |
| immune deficiency diseases | Those diseases in which immune reactions are suppressed or reduced. Reasons may include congenital absence of B and/or T lymphocytes or viral killing of helper lymphocytes (see HIV). (18 Nov 1997) |
| immune deviation | Modification of an immune response to an antigen after prior exposure to that antigen. Synonym: split tolerance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune electron microscopy | Electron microscopy of biological specimens to which specific antibody has been bound. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune haemolysin | A sensitizing, complement-fixing, haemolytic antibody formed in an animal as the result of parenteral administration of red blood cells or whole blood from another species; immune haemolysin may also be formed in human beings who are transfused with human blood that is antigenic in the recipient, e.g., the formation of anti-Rh antibody in an Rh-negative person who is treated with Rh-positive red blood cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune haemolysis | Haemolysis caused by complement when erythrocytes have been sensitised by specific complement-fixing antibody. Synonym: conditioned haemolysis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune inflammation | See: allergic reaction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immune interferon | <cytokine> Interferon elaborated by T lymphocytes in response to either specific antigen or mitogenic stimulation. This type II interferon can be produced by recombinant DNA technology and is similar to the interferon secreted by lymphocytes and has antiviral and antineoplastic activity. Synonym: antigen interferon, immune interferon. Pharmacological action: antineoplastic agent, antiviral agents. (20 Sep 2002) |