immunosuppression
Meaning of immunosuppression: Immunosuppression is a reduced state of immune system activity that can be caused deliberately by treatment or by underlying disease.
Definition of immunosuppression
Immunosuppression is a state in which the immune system's ability to respond to infection and other threats is reduced below its normal level. It can be induced deliberately with medication, most commonly to prevent the body from rejecting a transplanted organ or bone marrow, or to calm an overactive immune response in an autoimmune disease.
Immunosuppression can also occur as a result of an underlying disease process rather than treatment, as seen in advanced HIV infection, certain cancers affecting the bone marrow or lymphatic system, and some inherited immune disorders. Regardless of its cause, immunosuppression leaves a person more vulnerable to infections, including some that would rarely cause illness in a person with a fully functioning immune system.
Because the degree and pattern of immunosuppression can vary considerably depending on its cause, the specific infections a person is most vulnerable to, and the precautions considered relevant, differ depending on which part of the immune system is most affected.
Used in a sentence
The patient's immunosuppression following bone marrow transplantation required close monitoring for signs of infection.
Good to know
Immunosuppression from disease and immunosuppression from treatment can produce a similar increased infection risk, though the specific infections of greatest concern often differ depending on which part of the immune system is most affected.
Word origin
Where “immunosuppression” comes from
Formed from Latin immunis, meaning exempt or protected, combined with supprimere, meaning to press down.