The agglutination of red blood cells; may be immune as a result of specific antibody either for red blood cell antigens per se or other antigens which coat the red blood cells, or may be nonimmune as in h. caused by viruses or other microbes. SYN: hemoagglutination.
- passive h. a kind of passive agglutination in which erythrocytes, usually modified by mild treatment with tannic acid or other chemicals, are used to adsorb soluble antigen onto their surface, and which then agglutinate in the presence of antiserum specific for the adsorbed antigen. SYN: indirect h. test.
- reverse passive h. a diagnostic technique for virus infection using agglutination by viruses of red blood cells that previously have been coated with antibody specific to the virus.
- viral h. the nonimmune agglutination of suspended red blood cells by certain of a wide range of otherwise unrelated viruses, usually by the virion itself but in some instances by products of viral growth ( e.g., subunits), the species of erythrocyte agglutinated differing with the different viruses. SEE ALSO: h. inhibition.
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hem·ag·glu·ti·na·tion or chiefly Brit haem·ag·glu·ti·na·tion .hē-mə-.glüt-ən-'ā-shən n agglutination of red blood cells
hem·ag·glu·ti·nate or chiefly Brit haem·ag·glu·ti·nate -'glüt-ən-.āt vt, -nat·ed; -nat·ing
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he·mag·glu·ti·na·tion (he″mə-gloo″tĭ-naґshən) agglutination of erythrocytes, which may be caused by antibodies such as hemagglutinins, by viruses such as those of influenza and mumps, or by other substances such as lectins.Medical dictionary. 2011.