Glossary of Terms

The following terms are found throughout this issue of COLUMNS-Mold. The definitions are from the 1995 edition of Mirriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary unless otherwise stated.

anaphylaxis: hypersensitivity (as to foreign proteins or drugs) resulting from sensitization following prior contact with the causative agent

angioedema: an allergic skin disease characterized by patches of circumscribed swelling involving the skin and its subcutaneous levels, the mucous membranes, and sometimes the viscera - also called giant urticaria

antibody: any of a large number of proteins produced normally after stimulation by an antigen and act specifically against the antigen in an immune response