27:Immunity and the Immune Response

Agglutination

a reaction between antibody and particle-bound antigen resulting in visible clumping of the particles

Aminoglycoside

an antibiotic such as streptomycin containing amino sugars linked by glycosidic bonds

Antibiogram

a report indicating the susceptibility of clinically isolated microorganisms to the antibiotics in current use

Antibiotic

a chemical substance produced by a microorganism that kills or inhibits the growth of another microorganism

Antimicrobial drug resistance

the acquired ability of a microorganism to resist the effects of an antimicrobial agent to which it is normally susceptible

Bacteremia

the presence of bacteria in the blood

β-lactam antibiotic

penicillin or a related antibiotic that contains the four-membered heterocyclic β-lactam ring

Broad-spectrum antibiotic

an antibiotic that acts on both gram-positive and gram-negative Bacteria

Differential media

growth media that allow identification of microorganisms based on their phenotypic properties

Enriched media

media that allow metabolically fastidious microorganisms to grow because of the addition of specific growth factors

Enrichment culture

the use of selective culture media and incubation conditions to isolate specific microorganisms from natural samples

Enzyme immunoassay (EIA)

a test that uses antibodies linked to enzymes to detect antigens or antibodies in body fluids

Fluorescent antibody

an antibody molecule covalently modified with a fluorescent dye that makes the antibody visible under fluorescent light

Fusion inhibitor

a peptide that blocks the fusion of viral and target cytoplasmic membranes

General-purpose media

growth media that support the growth of most aerobic and facultatively aerobic organisms

Growth factor analog

a chemical agent that is related to and blocks the uptake or utilization of a growth factor

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI)

a local or systemic infection acquired by a patient in a healthcare facility, particularly during a stay in the facility

Immunoblot (Western blot)

the use of labeled antibodies to detect specific proteins after separation by electrophoresis and transfer to a membrane

Interferon

a cytokine protein produced by virus-infected cells that induces signal transduction in nearby cells, resulting in transcription of antiviral genes and expression of antiviral proteins

Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)

the smallest amount of an agent needed to completely inhibit the growth of an organism in vitro

Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)

a nonnucleoside analog used to inhibit viral reverse transcriptase

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)

a nucleoside analog used to inhibit viral reverse transcriptase

Penicillin

a class of antibiotics that inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis, characterized by a β-lactam ring

Protease inhibitor

an inhibitor of a viral protease

Quinolone

a synthetic antibacterial compound that interacts with DNA gyrase and prevents supercoiling of bacterial DNA

Selective media

media that enhance the growth of certain organisms while retarding the growth of others due to an added media component

Selective toxicity

the ability of a compound to inhibit or kill pathogenic microorganisms without adversely affecting the host

Sensitivity

the lowest amount of antigen that can be detected by a diagnostic test

Septicemia (sepsis)

a blood infection

Serology

the study of antigen-antibody reactions in vitro

Specificity

the ability of an antibody or a lymphocyte to recognize a single antigen or of a diagnostic test to identify a specific pathogen

Tetracycline

an antibiotic characterized by the four-ring naphthacene structure

Titer

the quantity of antibody present in a solution