gamma globulin

gamma globulin,

a group of globulinglobulin,
any of a large family of proteins of a spherical or globular shape that are widely distributed throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. Many of them have been prepared in pure crystalline form.
..... Click the link for more information. proteins in human blood plasma, including most antibodiesantibody,
protein produced by the immune system (see immunity) in response to the presence in the body of antigens: foreign proteins or polysaccharides such as bacteria, bacterial toxins, viruses, or other cells or proteins.
..... Click the link for more information. . These antibody substances are produced as a protective reaction of the body's immune system to the invasion of disease-producing organisms (see immunityimmunity,
ability of an organism to resist disease by identifying and destroying foreign substances or organisms. Although all animals have some immune capabilities, little is known about nonmammalian immunity.
..... Click the link for more information. ). Injections of gamma globulin are used to create a rapid but temporary immunity in patients who have been exposed to certain diseases. Children who have been exposed to, but are not immunized against, measlesmeasles
or rubeola
, highly contagious disease typically contracted during childhood, caused by a filterable virus and spread by droplet spray from the nose, mouth, and throat of individuals in the infective stage.
..... Click the link for more information. and patients with hepatitishepatitis
, inflammation of the liver. There are many types of hepatitis. Causes include viruses, toxic chemicals, alcohol consumption, parasites and bacteria, and certain drugs.
..... Click the link for more information. receive some protection from gamma globulin when it is administered during the incubation period of the infection. The gamma globulin used for such purposes is extracted from blood plasma from a large, diverse adult population; the resulting mixture is thus likely to contain antibodies from individuals who had been exposed to the appropriate infections.

Gamma Globulin

a fraction of globulins in blood plasma containing the most antibodies. In comparison with other protein fractions of the blood, gamma globulin has the slowest electrophoretic mobility. Gamma globulin is obtained either from the blood of donors or from blood from the placenta. So-called specific gamma globulin with an especially high content of antibodies to specific pathogens is isolated from the serum of humans or animals that have been immunized with the corresponding antigens. For example, anti-whooping-cough gamma globulin is prepared from the serum of humans hyperimmunized with whooping-cough vaccine; antirabies gamma globulin comes from the serum of horses hyperimmunized against rabies. Concentrated solutions of gamma globulin contain considerably more antibodies than the initial serums. In the USSR gamma globulin is produced in the form of a 10 percent solution (introduced intramuscularly). Gamma globulin is used for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases mainly in children (measles, whooping cough, poliomyelitis, epidemic hepatitis, and other diseases). Gamma globulin also has a certain nonspecific (stimulating) effect and for this reason it is prescribed for children with chronic inflammations, decline in appetite, and so on.

gamma globulin

[′gam·ə ′gläb·yə·lən] (immunology) Any of the serum proteins with antibody activity.

gamma globulin

gamma

[gam´ah] the third letter of the Greek alphabet, γ, used in names of chemical compounds to distinguish one of three or more isomers or to indicate the position of substituting atoms or groups.gamma chain disease a type of heavy chain disease that resembles a malignant lymphoma, with symptoms of lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and recurrent infections.gamma globulin 1. a class of plasma proteins composed almost entirely of immunoglobulins, the proteins that function as antibodies. Production of gamma globulin may be increased in the body when there is invasion by harmful microorganisms. An abnormal amount in the blood, a condition known as hypergammaglobulinemia" >hypergammaglobulinemia, may be indicative of a chronic infection or certain malignant blood diseases. There is also a rare condition, agammaglobulinemia, in which the body is unable to produce gamma globulin; patients suffering from this are extremely susceptible to infection and must be given frequent injections of gamma globulin serum.2. immune globulin.gamma rays (γ-rays) electromagnetic emissions from radioactive substances; they are similar to and have the same general properties as x-rays but are produced through the disintegration of certain radioactive elements. They consist of high energy photons, have short wavelengths, and have no mass and no electric charge. Gamma rays are sometimes used in the treatment of deep-seated malignancies (see radiation therapy).

globulin

[glob´u-lin] any of numerous proteins that are insoluble in water or highly concentrated salt solutions but soluble in moderately concentrated salt solutions. All plasma proteins except albumin and prealbumin are globulins. The plasma globulins are separated into five fractions by serum protein electrophoresis (SPE). In order of decreasing electrophoretic mobility these fractions are the alpha₁-, alpha₂-, beta₁-, and beta₂-globulins, and the gamma globulins.
The globulins include carrier proteins, which transport specific substances; acute phase reactants, which are involved in the inflammatory process; coagulation factors; complement components; and immunoglobulins. Examples are transferrin, a beta₁-globulin that transports iron, and alpha₁-antitrypsin, an acute phase reactant that inhibits serum proteases. The gamma globulin fraction is almost entirely composed of immunoglobulins.accelerator globulin factor V, one of the coagulation factors.antihemophilic globulin (AHG) factor VIII, one of the coagulation factors.antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) the gamma globulin fraction of serum" >antilymphocyte serum; used as an immunosuppressant in organ transplantation. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with antithymocyte globulin.antithymocyte globulin (ATG) the gamma globulin fraction of antiserum derived from animals (such as rabbits) that have been immunized against human thymocytes; an immunosuppressive agent that causes specific destruction of T lymphocytes, used in treatment of allograft rejection. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with antilymphocyte globulin.bacterial polysaccharide immune globulin (BPIG) a human globulin" > immune globulin derived from the blood plasma of adult human donors immunized with Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal, and meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines; used for passive immunization of infants under 18 months of age.cytomegalovirus immune globulin a purified immunoglobulin derived from pooled adult human plasma selected for high titers of antibody against cytomegalovirus; administered intravenously for treatment and prophylaxis of cytomegalovirus disease in transplant recipients.gamma globulin 1. see gamma globulin.2. immune globulin.hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from plasma of human donors with high titers of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); used for postexposure prophylaxis following contact with HBsAg-positive materials, also administered to infants of HBsAg-positive mothers.hyperimmune globulin any of various globulin" >immune globulin preparations especially high in antibodies against certain specific diseases.immune globulin 1. immunoglobulin.2. a concentrated preparation containing mostly gamma globulins, predominantly IgG, from a large pool of human donors; used for passive immunization against measles, hepatitis A, and varicella and for treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia or agammaglobulinemia in immunodeficient patients, administered intramuscularly. See also immune g. intravenous (human).immune globulin intravenous (human) a preparation of globulin" >immune globulin suitable for intravenous administration; used in the treatment of primary immunodeficiency disorders and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and as an adjunct in the treatment of Kawasaki disease and the prevention of infections associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, bone marrow transplantation, and pediatric human immunodeficiency virus infection.immune human serum globulin immune globulin (def. 2).immune serum globulin immune g. (def. 2).pertussis immune globulin a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from the blood plasma of human donors immunized with pertussis vaccine; used for the prophylaxis and treatment of pertussis.rabies immune globulin a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from plasma of human donors hyperimmunized with vaccine" >rabies vaccine; administered in conjunction with rabies vaccine in cases of bite or scratch exposure to known or suspected rabid animals.respiratory syncytial virus immune globulin intravenous a preparation of immunoglobulin G from pooled adult human plasma selected for high titers of antibodies against virus" >respiratory syncytial virus; used for passive immunization of infants and young children.Rh₀(D) immune globulin a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from human blood plasma containing antibody to the erythrocyte factor Rh₀(D); used to prevent Rh-sensitization of Rh-negative females and thus prevent erythroblastosis fetalis in subsequent pregnancies; administered within 72 hours after exposure to Rh-positive blood resulting from delivery of an Rh-positive child, abortion or miscarriage of an Rh-positive fetus, or transfusion of Rh-positive blood. It is also used as a platelet count stimulator in the treatment of purpura" >idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.serum g's all plasma proteins except albumin, which is not a globulin, and fibrinogen, which is not in the serum. The serum globulins are subdivided into alpha-, beta-, and gamma-globulins on the basis of their relative electrophoretic mobilities.specific immune globulin a preparation of globulin" >immune globulin derived from a donor pool preselected for high antibody titer against a specific antigen, such as globulin" >hepatitis B immune globulin.tetanus immune globulin a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from the blood plasma of human donors who have been immunized with toxoid" >tetanus toxoid; used in the prophylaxis and treatment of tetanus.thyronine-binding globulin (TBG) (thyroxine-binding globulin) an acidic glycoprotein that is the main binding protein in the blood for thyroxine, and less firmly for triiodothyronine.vaccinia immune globulin a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from the blood plasma of human donors who have been immunized with vaccinia virus smallpox vaccine; used as a passive immunizing agent.varicella-zoster immune globulin (VZIG) a globulin" >specific immune globulin derived from plasma of human donors with high titers of varicella-zoster antibodies; used for prevention or amelioration of varicella in immunocompromised patients exposed to the disease and in neonates whose mothers develop varicella in the perinatal period.

gamma globulin

also

gammaglobulin

(găm′ə-glŏb′yə-lĭn)n.1. A protein fraction of blood serum containing many antibodies that protect against bacterial and viral infectious diseases.2. A solution of gamma globulin prepared from human blood and administered for passive immunization against measles, German measles, hepatitis A, and other infections.

gamma globulin

A group of soluble proteins, present in the blood, most of which are IMMUNOGLUBULINS (antibodies), and which show the greatest mobility towards the cathode during ELECTROPHORESIS. Gamma globulin provides the body's main antibody defence against infection. For this reason it is produced commercially from human plasma and used for passive protection against many infections, especially HEPATITIS, MEASLES and POLIOMYELITIS.

gamma globulin

a member of a group of proteins found in BLOOD PLASMA that may act as an ANTIBODY. see IMMUNOGLOBULIN.

Gamma globulin

One of a group of proteins found in the blood that is involved in helping the body fight infections.Mentioned in: Thrombocytopenia

gamma globulin

gamma globulin

gamma globulin

gam′ma glob′ulin

gam·ma globulin

gamma globulin

gamma globulin,

Gamma Globulin

gamma globulin

gamma globulin

gamma

globulin

gamma globulin

gammaglobulin

gamma globulin

gamma globulin

Gamma globulin

gamma globulin

Synonyms for gamma globulin

noun a plasma protein containing the immunoglobulins that are responsible for immune responses

Synonyms

Related Words