DIPHTHERIA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does diphtheria mean? 

• DIPHTHERIA (noun)
  The noun DIPHTHERIA has 1 sense:

1. acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing

  Familiarity information: DIPHTHERIA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIPHTHERIA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Acute contagious infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae; marked by the formation of a false membrane in the throat and other air passages causing difficulty in breathing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("diphtheria" is a kind of...):

contagion; contagious disease (any disease easily transmitted by contact)

 Context examples 

Diphtheria usually affects the nose and throat.

(Diphtheria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The diphtheria toxin may cause myocarditis, polyneuritis, and other systemic effects.

(Diphtheria, NCI Thesaurus)

A plasmid DNA encoding the A chain of the diphtheria toxin (DT-A) driven by the transcriptional regulatory sequences of human H19, with potential antineoplastic activity.

(DTA-H19 Plasmid, NCI Thesaurus)

A recombinant protein consisting of human interleukin 3 (IL3) fused to the first 388 amino acids of diphtheria toxin [DT(388)] with potential antineoplastic activity.

(DT(388)IL3 Fusion Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Diphtheria Toxin Receptor, encoded by the human DTR gene, is a heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor.

(Diphtheria Toxin Receptor, NCI Thesaurus)

The IL-2 protein sequence moiety of denileukin difitox directs the cytocidal action of diphtheria toxin to cells that express IL-2 receptors.

(Denileukin diftitox, NCI Thesaurus)

An immunotoxin consisting of two scFv ligands recognizing human CD19 and CD22 linked to the first 389 amino acids of diphtheria toxin (DT), DT 390, with potential antineoplastic activity.

(Anti-CD19/Anti-CD22 Bispecific Immunotoxin DT2219ARL, NCI Thesaurus)

A recombinant fusion protein composed of the diphtheria toxin with the receptor-binding domain replaced by human epidermal growth factor (EGF).

(DAB389 Epidermal Growth Factor, NCI Thesaurus)

C diphtheriae is commensal in the skin and nasopharynx, but toxin producing strains are pathogenic to humans causing diphtheria; both an antitoxin and vaccine are available for disease prevention.

(Corynebacterium diphtheriae, NCI Thesaurus)

A vaccine composed of synthetic peptides derived from beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) conjugated to diphtheria toxoid.

(CTP-37-DT Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)