Sensitization

The development of allergic reactions to particular products or substances.


Acquired reaction in which antibodies develop in response to an antigen.


A person’s first exposure to an allergen or other foreign substance, such as an infectious agent. Sensitization leads to an immune response that can produce the symptoms of allergies, a process also called allergic sensitization. When the sensitized person is exposed to the same allergen subsequently, he or she will have a more immediate and stronger allergic reaction to it.


Alteration of the responsiveness of the body to the presence of foreign substances. In the development of an allergy, an individual becomes sensitized to a particular allergen and reaches a state of hypersensitivity. The phenomena of sensitization are due to the production of antibodies.


The production by B lymphocytes of specific antibodies and by T lymphocytes of specific cellular reactions to a foreign antigen. When the antigen is encountered again, an immune response occurs. The production of antibodies by B lymphocytes or the activation of T lymphocytes when an allergen is first encountered. When the allergen is encountered again, an abnormal immune response occurs.


The production by B lymphocytes of specific antibodies and by T lymphocytes of specific cellular reactions to a foreign antigen. When the antigen is encountered again, an immune response occurs. The production of antibodies by B lymphocytes or the activation of T lymphocytes when an allergen is first encountered. When the allergen is encountered again, an abnormal immune response occurs.


Allergic reaction created by repeated exposure to a chemical or a substance.


A general term used in many scientific fields to qualify any process of enhanced activity whereby a system becomes more active and excitable. In pain research, it is used to describe the enhanced output of a nociceptive neuron after a period of intense stimulation. It is believed that sensitization underlies the increased pain sensitivity that appears in persistent and chronic pain states. Sensitization that occurs in peripheral nociceptors is called peripheral sensitization. Sensitization detected in neurons of the central nervous system is called central sensitization.


The first encounter of an individual with an allergen or another substance identified as foreign by the immune system, resulting in an immune response. Upon subsequent encounters with the same substance, there is a more intense and rapid immune reaction. This reaction serves as the foundation for allergies and other forms of hypersensitivity responses.


 


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