Canadian Medical Guide > Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment > Therapeutics > Biological Therapy > Immunotherapy > Immunosuppression Terms and Definitions

Immunosuppression

Medical Definition:	Deliberate prevention or diminution of the host's immune response. It may be nonspecific as in the administration of immunosuppressive agents (drugs or radiation) or by lymphocyte depletion or may be specific as in desensitization or the simultaneous administration of antigen and immunosuppressive drugs.
Guide Notes:	note category: "deliberate prevention or diminution of the host's immune response": do not confuse with IMMUNOSUPPRESSION (PHYSIOLOGY) see IMMUNE TOLERANCE (G4); do not use /util except by MeSH definition; OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS is available if particul
Previously Indexed:	Antilymphocyte Serum (1968-1970),Immune Tolerance (1966-1970),Immunity (1966-1970),Immunosuppressive Agents (1966-1970)

Immunosuppression Categories.

	Desensitization, Immunologic - Immunosuppression by the administration of increasing doses of antigen. Though the exact mechanism is not clear, the therapy results in an increase in serum levels of allergen-specific IMMUNOGLOBULIN G, suppression of specific IgE, and an increase in suppressor T-cell activity.
	Graft Enhancement, Immunologic - The induction of prolonged survival and growth of allografts of either tumors or normal tissues which would ordinarily be rejected. It may be induced passively by introducing graft-specific antibodies from previously immunized donors, which bind to the graft's surface antigens, masking them from recognition by T-cells; or actively by prior immunization of the recipient with graft antigens which evoke specific antibodies and form antigen-antibody complexes which bind to the antigen receptor sites of the T-cells and block their cytotoxic activity.
	Lymphocyte Depletion - Immunosuppression by reduction of circulating lymphocytes or by T-cell depletion of bone marrow. The former may be accomplished in vivo by thoracic duct drainage or administration of antilymphocyte serum. The latter is performed ex vivo on bone marrow before its transplantation.
	Transplantation Conditioning - Preparative treatment of transplant recipient with various conditioning regimens including radiation, immune sera, chemotherapy, and/or immunosuppressive agents, prior to transplantation. Transplantation conditioning is very common before bone marrow transplantation.

Immunosuppression Medical Definitions and Terms

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