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Absorption
a laboratory technique that involves the removal of antibodies by the use of a specific antigen (i.e., red blood cell surface antigen).
Accuracy
the proximity or closeness of a value to the true value.
Acquired
incurred due to external factors and is not inherited.
Acute phase proteins
normal serum constituents that increase or decrease in the presence of an infection, injury, or trauma to tissues; associated with inflammatory reactions.
Adjuvant
a substance added to vaccines to potentiate or enhance the immune response of the recipient; examples include alum and Freund's adjuvant.
Aldolase
the key enzyme in the glycolytic cycle of Plasmodium parasite.
Adsorption
a process of attachment of one substance to the surface of another; attachment of an antibody to a specific antigen receptor on a cell surface.
Affinity
binding strength between an antigenic determinant (epitope) and its complementary site (paratope) in the Fab region of the antibody.
Agammaglobulinemia
absence of all immunoglobulins in serum.
Agglutination
aggregation or clumping of cellular or particulate antigens to their corresponding antisera containing antibodies.
Agglutinin
an antibody capable of causing agglutination with multivalent surface antigens; usually belongs to IgM class.
Agglutinogen
a particulate or cellular antigen involved in agglutination or aggregation.
Alkaline phosphatase
an enzyme that liberates inorganic phosphates from phosphate esters; used as an indicator label in immunoassays.
Allele
an alternative form(s) of a gene at a particular locus or specific position on a chromosome.
Allergen
an antigen that triggers an allergic or hypersensitivity reaction.
Alum
an adjuvant commonly added to human vaccines.
Amboceptor
an anti-sheep red blood cell antibody that causes hemolysis of sheep red blood cells in the presence of complement.
Anamnestic response
a rapid rise in the immunoglobulin concentration following subsequent exposure to an antigen; also known as a secondary immune response or booster response.
Antibody
an immunoglobulin (Ig) formed in response to an antigen.
Antibody titer
highest dilution factor of a sample that still results in a visible reaction (i.e., agglutination).
Antigen
any substance that, when introduced into the body, stimulates antibody production.
Antigen antibody complex
union of an antibody with its homologous antigen.
Antigen presenting cells (APC)
accessory cells present in tissues that process antigens and display fragments on the cell surface in association with a Class Il major histocompatibility complex molecules; examples include dendritic cells and macrophages.
Antigen valency
number of antigenic determinants on an antigen.
Antigenic determinant
a specific region of an antigen that is recognized by the B- or T-cell receptors.
Antigenicity
ability of a substance to react with immune products.
Antinuclear antibody (ANA)
an autoimmune antibody directed against a nuclear component; usually seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Antistreptolysin O (ASO)
an antibody produced against streptolysin O, a hemolysin produced by group A Streptococcus.
Atypical lymphocytes
suppressor and cytotoxic T-cells capable of recognizing and killing B-cells infected by viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus; also known as reactive lymphocytes.
Australia antigen
former name of the hepatitis B surface antigen.
Autoimmunity
the condition in which an immune response is initiated by "self" antigens.
Avidity
the sum total binding strength between an antigen and an antibody.
B cell
a lymphocyte that originated from the bone marrow; cells of the adaptive immune response that possess surface antibodies that are specific to an epitope.
C reactive protein
a protein not normally present in human blood but is present in a wide variety of inflammatory reactions; characterized by their ability to react with the C-polysaccharide component of pneumococci.
Cardiolipin
a substance composed of fresh beef heart extract combined with lecithin and cholesterol.
Cell mediated immunity
immunity that is dependent on T-cells and phagocytic cells.
Chemotaxis
the movement of cells such as neutrophils toward a stimulus.
Cluster of designation (CD)
cell surface markers that are employed for immunophenotyping cells particularly lymphocytes; also known as cluster of differentiation.
Cold agglutinins
agglutinins that belong to the IgM class and are active at 4°C but not at 37°C.
Complement
a humoral mechanism of non-specific immune responses of at least 14 components that proceed in a cascading sequence of activation, resulting in cell lysis; formerly known as alexin; there are three complement pathways, namely, classical, alternative, and mannose-binding lectin.
Complement fixation
the process of binding of complement in a reaction with an antigen and antibody.
Control
a substance that is similar to the patient sample that is used to monitor the precision of analytical tests.
Cytokine
a protein molecule secreted by leukocytes that regulate immune response.
