EvidenceLib · Topic area
Immunology
Immune responses, immune cells and immune-mediated disease. 90 evidence-grounded articles.
A B C D E F G H I J L M N P R S T U V
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis
Rare skin eruption characterized by acute formation of pustules filled with neutrophils, fever, and peripheral blood leukocytosis.
Adaptive Immunity
Protection from an infectious disease agent that is mediated by B- and T- lymphocytes following exposure to specific antigen, and characterized by immunologic memory.
Addison Disease
An adrenal disease characterized by the progressive destruction of the adrenal cortex, resulting in insufficient production of aldosterone and hydrocortisone.
Agammaglobulinemia
An immunologic deficiency state characterized by an extremely low level of generally all classes of gamma-globulin in the blood.
Anaphylaxis
An acute hypersensitivity reaction due to exposure to a previously encountered antigen.
Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease
An autoimmune disease of the kidney and the LUNG.
Antibody Affinity
A measure of the binding strength between antibody and a simple hapten or antigen determinant.
Antibody Diversity
The phenomenon of immense variability characteristic of antibodies.
Antibody Specificity
The property of antibodies which enables them to react with some antigenic determinants and not with others.
Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity
The phenomenon of antibody-mediated target cell destruction by non-sensitized effector cells.
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement
Enhancement of viral infectivity caused by non-neutralizing antibodies.
Antigen Presentation
The process by which antigen is presented to lymphocytes in a form they can recognize.
Antigenic Variation
Change in the surface antigen of a microorganism.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome
The presence of antibodies directed against phospholipids (antibodies, antiphospholipid).
Asthma
A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (respiratory hypersensitivity), airway inflammation, and intermittent airway obstruction.
Autoimmune Diseases
Disorders that are characterized by the production of antibodies that react with host tissues or immune effector cells that are autoreactive to endogenous peptides.
Autoimmunity
Process whereby the immune system reacts against the body's own tissues.
Blood Group Incompatibility
An antigenic mismatch between donor and recipient blood.
Castleman Disease
Large benign, hyperplastic lymph nodes.
CD4-CD8 Ratio
Ratio of t-lymphocytes that express the cd4 antigen to those that express the cd8 antigen.
Chronic Urticaria
Wheals (urticaria) and/or angioedema presented with daily symptoms lasting for more than 6 weeks.
Clonal Anergy
Functional inactivation of T- or B-lymphocytes rendering them incapable of eliciting an immune response to antigen.
Clonal Deletion
Removal, via cell death, of immature lymphocytes that interact with antigens during maturation.
Cold Urticaria
Various skin flares developing after exposure to cold temperature.
Common Variable Immunodeficiency
Heterogeneous group of immunodeficiency syndromes characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia of most isotypes, variable B-cell defects, and the presence of recurrent bacterial infections.
Complement Activation
The sequential activation of serum complement proteins to create the complement membrane attack complex.
Cross Protection
Protection conferred on a host by inoculation with one strain or component of a microorganism that prevents infection when later challenged with a similar strain.
Cross Reactions
Serological reactions in which an antiserum against one antigen reacts with a non-identical but closely related antigen.
Cross-Priming
Class I-restricted activation of cd8-positive lymphocytes resulting from antigen presentation of exogenous antigens (cross-presentation).
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Rare, chronic, papulo-vesicular disease characterized by an intensely pruritic eruption consisting of various combinations of symmetrical, erythematous, papular, vesicular, or bullous lesions.
Disease Resistance
The capacity of an organism to defend itself against pathological processes or the agents of those processes.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Chronic esophagitis characterized by esophageal mucosal eosinophilia.
Farmer's Lung
A form of alveolitis or pneumonitis due to an acquired hypersensitivity to inhaled antigens associated with farm environment.
Gout
Metabolic disorder characterized by recurrent acute arthritis, hyperuricemia and deposition of sodium urate in and around the joints, sometimes with formation of uric acid calculi.
Graft Rejection
An immune response with both cellular and humoral components, directed against an allogeneic transplant, whose tissue antigens are not compatible with those of the recipient.
Graft Survival
The survival of a graft in a host, the factors responsible for the survival and the changes occurring within the graft during growth in the host.
Graft vs Host Disease
The clinical entity characterized by anorexia, diarrhea, loss of hair, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, growth retardation, and eventual death brought about by the graft VS host reaction.
Graft vs Host Reaction
An immunological attack mounted by a graft against the host because of histoincompatibility when immunologically competent cells are transplanted to an immunologically incompetent host; the resulting clinical picture is that of gr
Graves Disease
A common form of hyperthyroidism with a diffuse hyperplastic goiter.
Heavy Chain Disease
A disorder of immunoglobulin synthesis in which large quantities of abnormal heavy chains are excreted in the urine.
Hemolysis
The destruction of erythrocytes by many different causal agents such as antibodies, bacteria, chemicals, temperature, and changes in tonicity.
Histamine Release
The secretion of histamine from mast cell and basophil granules by exocytosis.
Histocompatibility
The degree of antigenic similarity between the tissues of different individuals, which determines the acceptance or rejection of allografts.
Hypersensitivity
Altered reactivity to an antigen, which can result in pathologic reactions upon subsequent exposure to that particular antigen.
Immune Reconstitution
Regeneration of normal immune function after immune depleting procedures or infections (e.g., hematopoietic stem cell transplantation).
Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome
Exuberant inflammatory response towards a previously acquired or undiagnosed opportunistic infection.
Immune Tolerance
The specific failure of a normally responsive individual to make an immune response to a known antigen.
Immunity
Nonsusceptibility to the invasive or pathogenic effects of foreign microorganisms or to the toxic effect of antigenic substances.
Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
A disorder characterized by proliferation of arborizing small vessels, prominent immunoblastic proliferations and amorphous acidophilic interstitial material.
Immunocompetence
The ability of lymphoid cells to mount a humoral or cellular immune response when challenged by antigen.
Immunocompromised Host
A human or animal whose immunologic mechanism is deficient because of an immunodeficiency disorder or other disease or as the result of the administration of immunosuppressive drugs or radiation.
Immunoglobulin Allotypes
Allelic variants of the immunoglobulin light chains (immunoglobulin light chains) or heavy chains (immunoglobulin heavy chains) encoded by alleles of immunoglobulin genes.
Immunoglobulin Class Switching
Gene rearrangement of the B-lymphocyte which results in a substitution in the type of heavy-chain constant region that is expressed.
Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease
A spectrum of systemic autoimmune diseases in which immunoglobulin G4 plays a pathophysiologic role.
Immunologic Memory
The altered state of immunologic responsiveness resulting from initial contact with antigen, which enables the individual to produce antibodies more rapidly and in greater quantity in response to secondary antigenic stimulus.
Immunomodulation
Alteration of the immune system or of an immune response by agents that activate or suppress its function.
Juvenile Arthritis
Arthritis in children, with onset before 16 years of age.
Linear IgA Bullous Dermatosis
Autoimmune disease characterized by subepidermal blisters and linear deposition of autoantibodies at the dermoepidermal junction.
Lupus Nephritis
Glomerulonephritis associated with autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus.
Lymphocyte Activation
Morphologic alteration of small B lymphocytes or T lymphocytes in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically.
Macrophage Activation
The process of altering the morphology and functional activity of macrophages so that they become avidly phagocytic.
Macrophage Activation Syndrome
A serious complication of childhood systemic inflammatory disorders that is thought to be caused by excessive activation and proliferation of t-lymphocytes and macrophages.
Major Histocompatibility Complex
The genetic region which contains the loci of genes which determine the structure of the serologically defined (SD) and lymphocyte-defined (LD) transplantation antigens, genes which control the structure of the immune response-ass
Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance
Conditions characterized by the presence of M protein (Monoclonal protein) in serum or urine without clinical manifestations of plasma cell dyscrasia.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
An acquired disorder characterized by recurrent symptoms, referable to multiple organ systems, occurring in response to demonstrable exposure to many chemically unrelated compounds at doses below those established in the general p
Neutrophil Activation
The process in which the neutrophil is stimulated by diverse substances, resulting in degranulation and/or generation of reactive oxygen products, and culminating in the destruction of invading pathogens.
Neutrophil Infiltration
The diffusion or accumulation of neutrophils in tissues or cells in response to a wide variety of substances released at the sites of inflammatory reactions.
Pemphigus
Group of chronic blistering diseases characterized histologically by acantholysis and blister formation within the epidermis.
Phagocytosis
The engulfing and degradation of microorganisms; other cells that are dead, dying, or pathogenic; and foreign particles by phagocytic cells (phagocytes).
Plant Immunity
The inherent or induced capacity of plants to withstand or ward off biological attack by pathogens.
Rh Isoimmunization
The process by which fetal Rh+ erythrocytes enter the circulation of an Rh- mother, causing her to produce immunoglobulin G antibodies, which can cross the placenta and destroy the erythrocytes of Rh+ fetuses.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atroph
Sarcoidosis
An idiopathic systemic inflammatory granulomatous disorder comprised of epithelioid and multinucleated giant cells with little necrosis.
Schnitzler Syndrome
An extremely rare condition manifested as monoclonal immunoglobulin M dysproteinemia without features of lymphoproliferative disease, but with chronic urticaria, fever of unknown origin, disabling bone pain, hyperostosis, and incr
Self Tolerance
The normal lack of the ability to produce an immunological response to autologous (self) antigens.
Seroconversion
The appearance of antibodies against causative agents in the blood of individuals during the course of an infection or following immunization.
Sjogren's Syndrome
Chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease in which the salivary and lacrimal glands undergo progressive destruction by lymphocytes and plasma cells resulting in decreased production of saliva and tears.
Status Asthmaticus
A sudden intense and continuous aggravation of a state of asthma, marked by dyspnea to the point of exhaustion and collapse and not responding to the usual therapeutic efforts.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Rare cutaneous eruption characterized by extensive keratinocyte apoptosis resulting in skin detachment with mucosal involvement.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, and often febrile multisystemic disorder of connective tissue, characterized principally by involvement of the skin, joints, kidneys, and serosal membranes.
T-Cell Exhaustion
Progressive deterioration of T-cell function due to chronic antigen stimulation and inflammatory signals, e.g., chronic infection and cancer.
Th1-Th2 Balance
Homeostatic control of the immune system by different cytokines that induce the differentiation of helper t-cells into TH1 and th2 cells and result in a balance or imbalance (leading to disease) of Th1 and Th2 cells' immune respon
Trained Immunity
Ability of the innate immunity system to form immunologic memory and provide enhanced defense against subsequent secondary infections.
Transfusion Reaction
Complications of blood transfusion.
Transplantation Tolerance
An induced state of non-reactivity to grafted tissue from a donor organism that would ordinarily trigger a cell-mediated or humoral immune response.
Tumor Escape
The ability of tumors to evade destruction by the immune system.
Tumor Lysis Syndrome
A syndrome resulting from cytotoxic therapy, occurring generally in aggressive, rapidly proliferating lymphoproliferative disorders.
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
A subtype of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by insulin deficiency.
Urticaria
A vascular reaction of the skin characterized by erythema and wheal formation due to localized increase of vascular permeability.
Vaccine Potency
The relationship between an elicited adaptive immune response and the dose of the vaccine administered.