| AWS | Alagille-Watson syndrome; alcohol withdrawal syndrome |
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| BA | Bachelor of Arts; backache; bacterial agglutination; basilar artery; basion; benzyladenine; best amp... |
| BAC | bacterial adherent colony; bacterial antigen complex; blood alcohol concentration; British Associati... |
| BAL | blood alcohol level; British anti-lewisite; bronchoalveolar lavage |
| BEC | bacterial endocarditis; behavioral emergency committee; blood ethyl alcohol; bromo-ergocryptine |
| alpha-1-proteinase deficiency | Absence of a serum proteinase inhibitor that may cause nodular non-suppurative panniculitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| alpha-antitrypsin deficiency | <enzyme> A specific enzyme (alpha 1 antitrypsinase) that when absent genetically can result in panacinar emphysema (lung disease) and liver disease. There is no specific treatment for this condition other than supportive care for the liver and lung complications. Medications such as alpha-1proteinase inhibitor is given regularly to these patients. Incidence: approximately 1 in 10,000. (02 Jan 1998) |
| anaemia, iron deficiency | Deficiency of iron results in anaemia because iron is necessary to make haemoglobin, the key molecule in red blood cells responsible for the transport of oxygen. In iron deficiency anaemia, the red cells are unusally small (microcytic) and pale (hypochromic). Characteristic features of iron deficiency anaemia in children include failure to thrive (grow) and increased infections. The treatment of iron deficiency anaemia, whether it be in children or adults, is with iron and iron-containing foods. Food sources of iron include meat, poultry, eggs, vegetables and cereals (especially those fortified with iron). According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Recommended Dietary Allowances of iron are 15 milligrams per day for women and 10 milligrams per day for men. Anaemia characterised by low or absent iron stores, low serum iron concentration, elevated free erythrocyte porphorin, low transferrin saturation, elevated transferrin, low serum ferritin, low haemoglobin concentration or haematocrit, and hypochromic microcytic red blood cells. Symptoms may include pallor, angular stomatitis and other oral lesions, gastrointestinal complaints, retinal haemorrhages and exudates, and thinning and brittleness of the nails. Among the causes of iron-deficiency anaemia are inadequate iron intake, impaired iron absorption, increased blood loss and increased requirements such as infancy, pregnancy, and lactation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| antibody deficiency disease | <syndrome> Any of a group of disorders associated with a defective antibody production due to defects in the B-type lymphocyte system or in T-type lymphocytes; chief manifestation is an increased susceptibility to infection by various microorganisms. See: agammaglobulinaemia, hypogammaglobulinaemia, immunodeficiency. Synonym: antibody deficiency disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antibody deficiency syndrome | <syndrome> Any of a group of disorders associated with a defective antibody production due to defects in the B-type lymphocyte system or in T-type lymphocytes; chief manifestation is an increased susceptibility to infection by various microorganisms. See: agammaglobulinaemia, hypogammaglobulinaemia, immunodeficiency. Synonym: antibody deficiency disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antitrypsin deficiency | Deficiency of a1-antitrypsin, a glycoprotein of the postalbumin region of human serum. Many forms are known which may be moderate (40 to 60% of normal activity) or severe (less than 10% of normal), all autosomal dominant; the severe form is often associated with familial emphysema or hepatic cirrhosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arch length deficiency | The difference between the available circumference of the dental arch and that required to accommodate the succedaneous teeth in proper alignment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arginase deficiency | <biochemistry> Arginase is the fifth enzyme of the urea cycle and catalyses the hydrolysis of arginine to ornithine and urea as the final step in the detoxification of ammonia. Deficiency of the enzyme results in hyperargininaemia and episodic hyperammonaemia, leading to moderate to severe mental retardation and spasticity. at least two isozymes of arginase exist in man. AI (the enzyme deficient in the disorder) is cytosolic and found primarily in liver and red blood cells, whereas AII is mitochondrial and found predominantly in kidney but also to a lesser extent in liver, brain, and other tissues. While AII activity appears to be induced in AI deficiency, it is only partially effective in maintaining urea cycle function. The normal in vivo function of AII is unclear. Arginase deficiency is diagnosed by observing high arginine concentrations on either qualitative or quantitative plasma or urine amino acid analysis. The diagnosis is confirmed by finding markedly decreased or absent arginase activity in an isotopic red blood cell enzymatic assay. The AI gene has been cloned, sequenced, and localised to human chromosome band 6q23. (17 Dec 1997) |
| ascorbic acid deficiency | A condition due to a dietary deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin c), characterised by malaise, lethargy, and weakness. As the disease progresses, joints, muscles, and subcutaneous tissues may become the sites of haemorrhage. Ascorbic acid deficiency frequently develops into scurvy in young children fed unsupplemented cow's milk exclusively during their first year. It develops also commonly in chronic alcoholism. (cecil textbook of medicine, 19th ed, p1177) (12 Dec 1998) |
| beta-d-glucuronidase deficiency | A rare deficiency of beta-d-glucuronidase; an autosomal recessive disorder with several allelic forms, characterised by abnormal mucopolysaccharide metabolism leading to progressive mental deterioration, splenic and hepatic enlargement, and dysostosis multiplex. Synonym: mucopolysaccharidase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brancher deficiency glycogenosis | Type of glycogen storage disease, due to deficiency of amylo-1,4-1,6-transglucosidase (brancher enzyme). Synonym: brancher deficiency glycogenosis, debrancher deficiency. (05 Mar 2000) |
| calcium deficiency | A low blood calcium (hypocalcaemia) makes the nervous system highly irritable with tetany (spasms of the hands and feet, muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, overly active reflexes, etc.). Chronic calcium deficiency contributes to poor mineralization of bones, soft bones (osteomalacia) and osteoporosis; and, in children, rickets and impaired growth. Food sources of calcium include dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables such as broccoli and collards, canned salmon, clams, oysters, calcium-fortified foods, and tofu. According to the National Academy of Sciences, adequate intake of calcium is 1 gram daily for both men and women. The upper limit for calcium intake is 2.5 grams daily. (12 Dec 1998) |
| carbamoylphosphate synthetase deficiency | <biochemistry> Carbamoylphosphate synthetase is the initial enzyme of the urea cycle, catalysing the synthesis of carbamoylphosphate from ammonia, bicarbonate and ATP as the first step of ammonia detoxification. The enzyme is an intramitochondrial form called CPS I. A different isozyme found in the cytoplasm, called CPS II, is much less active and apparently not involved in the urea cycle. The deficiency state is autosomal recessive and presents in infancy with massive hyperammonaemia and neurologic deficits in survivors. Diagnosis is suggested by the blood biochemistry and confirmed by specific enzyme assay on liver or rectal biopsy. Prenatal diagnosis by molecular methods has been used successfully in informative families. Inheritance: autosomal recessive. (07 Apr 1998) |
| carbonic anhydrase II deficiency syndrome | <syndrome> An inherited deficiency of carbonic anhydrase II that results in osteopetrosis and metabolic acidosis. Synonym: osteopetrosis with renal tubular acidosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| g-6-p-d deficiency | <biochemistry> An inherited condition that results in a deficiency in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Particular drugs (sulphonamides) can exacerbate this problem. The result is haemolytic anaemia. (27 Sep 1997) |