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toxoid
(redirected from Toxoids)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
toxoid, protein toxin toxin, poison produced by living organisms. Toxins are classified as either exotoxins or endotoxins. Exotoxins are a diverse group of soluble proteins released into the surrounding tissue by living bacterial cells.
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 treated by heat or chemicals so that its poisonous property is destroyed but its capacity to stimulate the formation of toxin antibodies antibody, protein produced by the immune system (see immunity ) in response to the presence in the body of antigens: foreign proteins or polysaccharides such as bacteria, bacterial toxins , viruses, or other cells or proteins.
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, or antitoxins antitoxin, any of a group of antibodies formed in the body as a response to the introduction of poisonous products, or toxins . By introducing small amounts of a specific toxin into the healthy body, it is possible to stimulate the production of antitoxin so that the
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, remains. Because toxoids can be given in large quantities with no risk of tissue damage, they have superseded the highly poisonous toxins as immunizing agents against such diseases as diphtheria and tetanus.

toxoid

Bacterial toxin that has been made inactive but can still combine with or stimulate formation of antibodies. In many bacterial diseases, the bacteria produce a toxin that causes the disease manifestations. Heating the toxin or treating it chemically converts it into a harmless toxoid that can be injected into a human or a nonhuman animal to confer immunity from subsequent infection. The vaccines for tetanus and diphtheria are toxoids.


toxoid [′täk‚sȯid]
(immunology)
Detoxified toxin, but with antigenic properties intact; toxoids of tetanus and diphtheria are used for immunization.


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Notice to readers: update on the supply of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine.
Three doses of whole cell pertussis vaccine combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids are given at 3, 4, and 5 months of age (1).
The following is a list of CDC vaccines and toxoids without thimerosal preservative:
 
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