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immune complex

American  

noun

  1. an aggregate of an antigen and its specific antibody.

immune complex British  
/ ˈɪmjʊnəʊˌkɒmplɛks /

noun

  1. a complex formed between an antibody and an antigen

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of immune complex

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the antibody binds to HIV in monkey studies, they form an "immune complex" which other parts of the immune system might be able to recognise.

From BBC

To summarize, this disease occurs as a result of the immune system reacting to something within the patient's body that causes immune complex deposition in the joints, resulting in an inflammatory response that causes pain and a fever.

From Seattle Times

This causes immune complex formation in the joints, which then causes an inflammatory reaction, which by definition is arthritis.

From Seattle Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.