IMMUNOGLOBULIN A

 Dictionary entry overview: What does immunoglobulin A mean? 

• IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (noun)
  The noun IMMUNOGLOBULIN A has 1 sense:

1. one of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins; the chief antibody in the membranes of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts

  Familiarity information: IMMUNOGLOBULIN A used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMMUNOGLOBULIN A (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins; the chief antibody in the membranes of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

IgA; immunoglobulin A

Hypernyms ("immunoglobulin A" is a kind of...):

Ig; immune gamma globulin; immune globulin; immune serum globulin; immunoglobulin (a class of proteins produced in lymph tissue in vertebrates and that function as antibodies in the immune response)

 Context examples 

The determination of the amount of immunoglobulin A present in a sample.

(Immunoglobulin A Measurement, NCI Thesaurus)

A systemic, usually self-limited immune complex vasculitis, characterized by immunoglobulin A deposition in the small vessels and kidneys.

(Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, NCI Thesaurus)

One striking feature of intestinal immunity is its ability to generate great amounts of noninflammatory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies that serve as the first line of defense against microorganisms.

(Intestinal IgA Production Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

A chronic autoimmune glomerulonephritis characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin A in the mesangium of the glomeruli.

(IgA Nephropathy, NCI Thesaurus)