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Glite Dictionary
antiphospholipid antibody

antiphospholipid antibody

8.6
A blood protein made by the body's defense system that attacks fats on cell surfaces and can cause clots
  • noun
  • /ˌæntiˌfɔsfoʊˈlɪpɪd ˈæntɪˌbɑdi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : anticuerpo antiphospholípido
  • The doctor ordered tests for antiphospholipid antibody after her unexplained blood clots.

Examples

  • Presence of an antiphospholipid antibody is associated with certain autoimmune disorders.

  • He was diagnosed with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, which required careful management of his condition.

  • What are antiphospholipid antibodies?

  • Can antiphospholipid antibodies cause complications during pregnancy?

  • The doctor explained that the antiphospholipid antibody can significantly increase the risk of blood clots.

  • Testing for antiphospholipid antibody levels is crucial in assessing the risk for patients with frequent clotting.

  • Patients with the presence of antiphospholipid antibody should be monitored regularly to prevent thrombosis.

Synonyms

autoantibody
vsantiphospholipid antibody
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A protein made by the body's defence system that attacks its own tissues

is narrower and targets membrane fats, raising blood clotting risk

Surface Forms

antiphospholipid antibody singular
antiphospholipid antibodies plural

Morphology

antiphospholipid + antibody

The phrase is compositionally built: 'antiphospholipid' (anti- + phospholipid) describes what is being targeted and combines straightforwardly with 'antibody' to mean an antibody that targets phospholipids. Although this is specialized medical vocabulary and unfamiliar to many learners, if a B1 learner knows the constituent parts the overall meaning is directly derivable.

Etymology

Antiphospholipid antibody breaks into parts: anti- meaning 'against', phospholipid meaning a kind of fat that is part of cells, and antibody meaning a blood protein made by the immune system. So it describes a blood protein that wrongly 'attacks' those fats and can cause 'blood clots', which is why doctors test for it.