Medical Microbiology

Fractalkine:Achemokineexpressedby
endothelialcells;haseffectsoninflam-
mationandotherprocesse.
Freund’s adjuvant(FA): Awater-in-oil
emulsion.CompleteFAcontainskilled
Mycobacteriumtuberculosis,whilstin-
completeFAdoesnot.
GALT:Gut-associatedlymphoidtissue.
Gammaglobulins: The serum fraction
whichmigratesmostrapidlytowards
the anode during electrophoresis.
Containsallfiveclassesofimmunoglo-
bulins.
Geldiffusiontest:Immunoprecipitation
test;Antigensandantibodiesdiffuse
towardsoneanother,formingastain-
ableprecipitateattheequivalence
zone(Ouchterlonytest).
Germline:Thegeneticmaterialofga-
metes.Mutationsinthegermline,un-
likesomaticmutations,areinherited
byprogeny.
GVH:Graft-versus-hostreaction;rejection
ofhosttissuebytransplantedcells.
H-2:Mainhistocompatibilitycomplexof
mice.
Haplotype:Thesetofgeneticdetermi-
nantspresentononechromosome
orchromosomeset.
Hapten:Asmallmoleculewhichcanfunc-
tionasanepitopebyitself,without
beingcoupledtoacarrier,butwhich
alonedoesnotelicitanantibodyre-
sponse.
Helpercells:TheCD4+subclassofTcells
whicharefunctionallyimportantforB
cells,andwhichreleasecytokines;a
singlehelperT-cellcloneisspecific
foronepeptidepresentedbyaspecific
MHCclassIImolecule.
Hereditaryangioedema:Resultofcon-
genitalC 1 inhibitordeficiency.
Heterologous:Belongingtoanotherspe-
cies.
HEV:Highendothelialvenules;theseare
specializedtoallowthemovement
oflymphocytesfromthebloodinto
thelymphnodes.
Highresponder:Individuals(orinbred
strains)whichexhibitastrongimmune
responseagainstadefinedantigen.

Hingeregion:Thesegmentofanimmu-

noglobulinheavychainwhichliesbe-

tweentheFcandFabregions.

Histocompatibility:Qualitywhichdeter-

minesrulesofacceptanceorrejection

ofatransplant.

HLA:Humanleukocyteantigencodedfor

bythehumanmajorhistocompatibil-

itygenecomplex(MHC).

Homologous:Belongingtothesamespe-

cies.

Humoral:Anyfactorpresentwithinextra-

cellular body fluids (e.g. serum,

lymph).

HVG:Host-versus-graftreaction.Rejection

oftransplantedcellsbyhosttissue.

Hybridoma:Anantigen-specificBcellthat

hasbeensuccessfullyfusedwitha

myelomacell.

Hypervariableregion:Thethreemost

variablesegmentspresentwithinthe

Vdomainsofimmunoglobulinsand

T-cellreceptors.

Idiotype:Theantigeniccharacteristicof

theABSregionofanantibody.

IFN: Interferons; cellular derived sub-

stanceswhichcontributetononspeci-

ficcellularresistance,particularlywith

regardtoviralinfections.

IL: Interleukins; short-lived substances

whichmediatethetransferofinfor-

mationbetweendistinctcells(both

oftheimmunesystemandothertis-

sues).

Immunecomplex:Theproductofananti-

gen-antibodyreaction;mayalsocon-

taincomponentsofthecomplement

system.

Immuneparalysis:Temporaryinabilityto

produceaspecificimmuneresponse

usuallyresultingfromthepresence

ofexcessiveantigen.

Immunity:Activelyorpassivelyacquired

immuneprotectionagainstpathogens

andotherantigens.

Immunoconglutinins: Auto-antibodies

directedagainstcomplementcompo-

nents.

Immunofluorescence:Renderingcertain

antigensvisiblebybindingofaspecific

fluorescence-labeledantibody.

Glossary 141

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Kayser, Medical Microbiology © 2005 Thieme

All rights reserved. Usage subject to terms and conditions of license.