Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Immunologic and Biological Factors > Immunologic Factors > Antigens > Antigens, Surface Terms and Definitions

Antigens, Surface

Medical Definition:	Antigens on surfaces of cells, including infectious or foreign cells or viruses. They are usually protein-containing groups on cell membranes or walls and may be isolated.
Guide Notes:	coord NIM with specific antigen/organism heading (IM)
Previously Indexed:	Antigens (1966-1978)

Antigens, Surface Categories.

	Blood Group Antigens - Sets of cell surface antigens located on BLOOD CELLS. They are usually membrane GLYCOPROTEINS or GLYCOLIPIDS that are antigenically distinguished by their carbohydrate moieties.
	Histocompatibility Antigens - A group of antigens that includes both the major and minor histocompatibility antigens. The former are genetically determined by the major histocompatibility complex. They determine tissue type for transplantation and cause allograft rejections. The latter are systems of allelic alloantigens that can cause weak transplant rejection.
	Minor Lymphocyte Stimulatory Antigens - Endogenous superantigens responsible for inducing strong proliferative responses in T-cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (see LYMPHOCYTE CULTURE TEST, MIXED). They are encoded by mouse mammary tumor viruses that have integrated into the germ line as DNA proviruses (MINOR LYMPHOCYTE STIMULATORY LOCI).

Antigens, Surface Medical Definitions and Terms

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