autoantigen /au·to·an·ti·gen/ (-an´tĭ-jen) an antigen that despite being a normal tissue constituent is the target of a humoral or cell-mediated immune response, as in autoimmune disease.
autoantigen
autoantigen
au·to·an·ti·gen (ô t - n t -j n)n. An endogenous antigen that stimulates the production of autoantibodies. |
autoantigen
[ô′tō·an′tijin]
Etymology: Gk, autos + anti, against, genein, to produce
an endogenous body constituent that stimulates the production of autoantibodies and an autoimmune reaction. An autoantigen associated with Addison's disease has been identified as the enzyme 17 α-hydroxylase. Also called self-antigen. See also antibody-specific model, autoantibody, autoimmune disease.
autoantigen
a tissue constituent that stimulates production of autoantibodies or self-reactive T lymphocytes in the animal in which it occurs.
autoantigen
Immunology Any self antigen–eg, glomerular basement membrane, mitochondria, muscle, parietal cells, thyroglobulin and others, which may evoke production of autoantibodies. See Antigen.
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