original antigenic sin

English

Etymology

See original sin.

Noun

original antigenic sin (uncountable)

1. (immunology) The propensity of the immune system to preferentially use immunological memory based on a previous infection when a second, slightly different version of the foreign pathogen is encountered, leaving the immune system "trapped" by the first response it has made to each antigen, and unable to mount potentially more effective responses during subsequent infections.

   Synonyms: (initialism) Hoskins effect, OAS