Immunology Final 2008 Alaska Vocab A

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acute rejection

Back 1

rejection of transplanted cells, tissues, or organs that is due to a T-cell response stimulated by the transplant.

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Acute-phase proteins

Back 2

plasma proteins made by the liver whose synthesis is rapidly increased in response to infection. They include mannose-binding lectin (MBL), C-reactive protein (CRP), and fibrinogen.

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Acute-phase response

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a response of innate immunity that occurs soon after the start of an infection and involves the synthesis of acute-phase proteins by the liver and their secretion into the blood.

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Adaptive immune response

Back 4

the response of antigen-specific B and T lymphocytes to antigen, including the development of immunological memory.

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Adaptive immunity

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the state of resistance to infection that is produced by the adaptive immune system

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Adjuvant

Back 6

substance used to enhance the adaptive immune response to any antigen. To exert its effect, an adjuvant must be mixed with the antigen before injection or vaccination.

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Affinity maturation

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the increase in affinity of the antigen-binding sites of antibodies for the antigen that occurs during the course of adaptive immune response.

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Agonist

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any molecule that binds to a receptor and causes it to function.

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Allergen

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an antigen that elicits hypersensitivity or allergic reactions; usually innocuous proteins that do not inherently threaten the integrity of the body.

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Allergic reaction

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the result of a secondary immune response to an otherwise innocuous environmental antigen, or allergen. Allergic reactions can involve either antibodies or effector T cells.

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Allergy

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a state of hypersensitivity to a normally innocuous environmental antigen. It results from the interaction between the antigen and antibodies or T cells produced by earlier exposure to the same antigen.

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Alloantibody

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antibody that is made by immunization of one member of a species with antigen derived from another member of the same species. Alloantibodies recognize antigens that are the result of allelic variation at polymorphic genes. Common types of alloantibody are those recognizing blood group antigens and HLA class I and class II molecules.

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Allogenic

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describes two members of the same species who are genetically different.

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Allograft

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a tissue graft made between genetically non-identical members of the same species.

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Alloreaction

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an adaptive immune response made by one member of a species against an allogeneic antigen from another member of the same species.

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Allotypes

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natural protein variants that are encoded by the alleles of a gene

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Alternative pathway of complement activation

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one of three pathways of complement activation; triggered by presence of infection but does not involve antibody

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Anergy

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a state of non-responsiveness to antigen. People are said to be anergic when they cannot mount delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions on challenge with an antigen. T and B cells are said to be anergic when they cannot respond to their specific antigen.

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Antagonist

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any molecule that binds to a receptor and prevents its function

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Antibody

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the secreted form of the immunoglobulin made by a B cell

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Antigen

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originally defined as any molecule that binds specifically to an antibody, the term now also refers to any molecule that can produce peptides that bind specifically to a T-cell receptor.

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Antigen receptor

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for a B cell, the antigen receptor is its cell-surface immunoglobulin; for a T cell the antigen receptor is a rather similar molecule called the T-cell receptor. Each individual lymphocyte bears receptors of a single antigen specificity.

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Antigenic drift

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a process by which point mutations in influenza virus genes cause differences in the structure of viral surface antigens. This causes year-to-year antigenic differences in strains of influenza virus.

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Antigenic shift

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a process by which influenza viruses reassort their segmented genomes and change their surface antigens radically. New viruses arising by antigenic shift are the usual cause of influenza pandemics.

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AP-1

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a family of transcription factors, some of which participate in lymphocyte activation

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Apoptosis

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a mechanism of cell death in which the cells to be killed are induced to degrade themselves from within, in a tidy manner.

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Arthus reaction

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an immune reaction in the skin caused by the injection of antigen into the dermis. The antigen reacts with specific IgG antibodies in the extracellular spaces, activating complement and phagocytic cells to produce a local inflammatory response.

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Autocrine

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describes a cytokine or other secreted molecule that acts on the same type of cell as the one that secreted it.

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Autologous

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describes cells, HLA molecules, and so on that derive from the individual in question.