| plasma | <haematology> Acellular fluid in which blood cells are suspended. Serum obtained by defibrinating plasma (plasma derived serum) lacks platelet released factors and is less suitable to support the growth of cells in culture. (13 Oct 1997) |
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| plasma accelerator globulin | <chemical> Heat- and storage-labile plasma glycoprotein which accelerates the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin in blood coagulation. Factor v accomplishes this by forming a complex with factor xa, phospholipid, and calcium (prothrombinase complex). Deficiency of factor v leads to owren's disease. Chemical name: Blood-coagulation factor V (12 Dec 1998) |
| plasma albumin | <protein> The serum level of the low molecular protein albumin. Albumin, produced by the liver, plays an important role in maintaining plasma oncotic pressure. Normal serum albumin should be 3.5-5.0 grams per decilitre. Low serum albumin can be found in cases of liver disease and malnutrition. (27 Sep 1997) |
| plasma cell | <haematology> A terminally differentiated antibody forming and usually antibody secreting, cell of the B-cell lineage. (18 Nov 1997) |
| plasma cell balanitis | Benign circumscribed balanitis characterised microscopically by subepithelial plasma cell infiltration and clinically by small erythematous papular lesions. Synonym: balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis, balanitis of Zoon, Zoon's erythroplasia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cell dyscrasia | A diverse group of diseases characterised by the proliferation of a single clone of cells producing a monoclonal immunoglobulin or immunoglobulin fragment (a serum M component). The cells usually have plasma cell morphology, but may have lymphocytic or lymphoplasmacytic morphology. This group includes multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia, the heavy chain disease, benign monoclonal gammopathy, and immunocytic amyloidosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cell gingivitis | Intense hyperaemic oedema and inflammation of the gingiva resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction. A dense plasma cell infiltrate is seen in the lamina propria. Synonym: atypical gingivitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cell hepatitis | <pathology> A type of chronic active hepatitis that results from circulating auto-antibodies and chronic inflammation of the liver. Symptoms are those of chronic active hepatitis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| plasma cell leukaemia | An unusual disease characterised by leukocytosis and other signs and symptoms that are suggestive of leukaemia, in association with diffuse infiltrations and aggregates of plasma cells in the spleen, liver, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, and the presence of considerable numbers of plasma cells in the circulating blood; the total number of leukocytes in the latter may range from normal levels to 80,000 or 90,000 per cu mm, and 5 to 90% may be plasma cells; multiple myelomas are observed in some examples of plasma cell leukaemia, but discrete nodules are not formed in bone. Although there are other clinicopathologic differences in the two conditions, they may be phases of the same basic process. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cell mastitis | A condition of the breasts characterised by tumourlike indurated masses containing numerous plasma cells, usually resulting from mammary duct ectasia; although clinically resembling malignant disease (attachment to skin and enlargement of axillary lymph nodes), it is not neoplastic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cell myeloma | Cells resemble mature or immature plasma cells with nuclei that appear cleaved or resemble immunoblasts. The tumour cells are CD19- , CD20- , CD22- and SIg- , but are also cIg+ and CD38+. The Ig heavy and light chain genes can be translocated or deleted. These neoplasms are often disseminated BM tumours of adults and progress to multiple myeloma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| plasma cells | Special white blood cells that produce antibodies. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plasma containment | <physics> In physics experiments or nuclear fusion experiments, operation is intended to prevent, in an effective and sufficiently prolonged manner, the particles of a plasma from striking the walls of the container in which this plasma is produced. Plasma confinement is a fundamental requirement for obtaining net energy from a fusion plasma. The reason is that scattering (hence diffusion) is at least an order of magnitude more probable than fusion reactions. Hence, without confinement, the plasma fuel would disperse before enough fusion reactions could take place. (31 Dec 1997) |
| plasma exchange | Removal of plasma and replacement with various fluids, e.g., fresh frozen plasma, plasma protein fractions (ppf), albumin preparations, dextran solutions, saline. Used in treatment of autoimmune diseases, immune complex diseases, diseases of excess plasma factors, and other conditions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plasma expander | Artificial plasma extender. (18 Nov 1997) |
| antihemophilic plasma | Human plasma in which the labile antihemophilic globulin component, present in fresh plasma, has been preserved; it is used to temporarily relieve dysfunction of the haemostatic mechanism in haemophilia. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| apical plasma membrane | <cell biology> The term used for the cell membrane on the apical (inner or upper) surface of transporting epithelial cells. This region of the cell membrane is separated, in vertebrates, from the baso lateral membrane by a ring of tight junctions that prevents free mixing of membrane proteins from these two domains. (18 Nov 1997) |
| basolateral plasma membrane | <cell biology> The plasma membrane of epithelial cells that is adjacent to the basal lamina or the adjoining cells of the sheet. Differs both in protein and phospholipid composition from the apical plasma membrane from which it is isolated by tight junctions (zonula occludentes). (18 Nov 1997) |
| beam-plasma reaction | <radiobiology> Fusion reaction which occurs from the collision of a fast beam ion with a thermal plasma ion. (09 Oct 1997) |
| bean-shaped plasma | <radiobiology> A toroidal plasma indented on the inboard side (the side with the donut hole), that results in additional stability to ballooning modes. Moderate indentation may provide access to the second-stability region (high beta). (13 Nov 1997) |
| blood plasma | <haematology> Acellular fluid in which blood cells are suspended. Serum obtained by defibrinating plasma (plasma derived serum) lacks platelet released factors and is less suitable to support the growth of cells in culture. (13 Oct 1997) |
| blood plasma fractions | Portions of the blood plasma as separated by electrophoresis or other technique. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rapid plasma reagin | <investigation> The rapid plasma reagin test is similar to the VDRL test for diagnosing syphilis. This blood test is designed to detect an antibody substance in the bloodstream when syphilis infection is present. Early syphilis infections may be RPR negative. See: VDRL (17 Dec 1997) |
| rapid plasma reagin test | A group of serologic test's for syphilis in which unheated serum or plasma is reacted with a standard test antigen containing charcoal particles; positive test's yield a flocculation. A modification, called the RPR (circle) card test, is widely used as a screening test. Synonym: RPR test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| renal plasma flow | <physiology> The amount of plasma that perfuses the kidneys per unit time, approximately 10% greater than effective renal plasma flow. It should be differentiated from the renal blood flow which refers to the total volume of blood flowing through the renal vasculature, while the renal plasma flow refers to the rate of plasma flow. (12 Dec 1998) |
| peak plasma drug concentration | <pharmacology> The highest level of drug that can be obtained in the blood usually following multiple doses. (09 Oct 1997) |
| granuloma, plasma cell | A slow-growing benign pseudotumour in which plasma cells greatly outnumber the inflammatory cells. (12 Dec 1998) |
| granuloma, plasma cell, orbital | A distinctive, chronic inflammatory reaction in the orbital tissues of the eye, of unknown aetiology, that may closely resemble a neoplasm and often becomes bilateral. Symptoms include exophthalmos and congestion of the lids with oedema. When limitation of ocular motility also occurs, it is sometimes called orbital myositis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| granuloma, plasma cell, pulmonary | A pseudotumour of the lung composed of inflammatory cells and showing complete maturity of fibroblastic components with a striking lack of mitosis. It is also called postinflammatory pseudotumour and pseudoneoplastic pneumonitis. (berardi, r.s. Et al. Inflammatory pseudotumours of the lung. Surg gynecol obstet 156:89-96, jan 83) (12 Dec 1998) |
| collisionless plasma model | <radiobiology> Model of a plasma in which the density is so low, or the temperature so high, that close binary (two-body) collisions have practically no significance (on certain timescales) because the time scales of interest are shorter than the collision time. Yields valid physical results for timescales much shorter than the average collision time in a real plasma. (09 Oct 1997) |