| MCFA | medium-chain fatty acid; miniature centrifugal fast analyzer |
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| MCM | methylmalonic coenzyme A mutase; minimum capacitation medium |
| MD | Doctor of Medicine [Lat. Medicinae Doctor]; magnesium deficiency; main duct; maintenance dose; major... |
| med | medial; median; medication; medicine, medical; medium |
| MEM | macrophage electrophoretic mobility; malic enzyme, mitochondrial; minimal essential medium |
| growth hormone stimulation test | <investigation> A test which measures the level of human growth hormone in response to the administration of the amino acid arginine. This test measures the ability of the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone. Normal values in children are: 48 ng/ml. Normal values in men are 10 ng/ml. Normal values in women are 15 ng/ml. This test is used to evaluate infants with growth retardation. It may also be part of an evaluation for a pituitary tumour. Failure of arginine to raise growth hormone levels may indicate hypopituitarism or dwarfism. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| growth hormone suppression test | <investigation> A test to determine if growth hormone is suppressed by hyperglycaemia. Growth hormone blood levels are determined sequentially after ingestion of a glucose-rich meal. If growth hormone levels remain elevated (after the glucose is given) then acromegaly or gigantism is suspected. (27 Sep 1997) |
| guaiac test | Glacial acetic acid, gum guaiac solution, and hydrogen peroxide are added to an aqueous suspension of the suspected stain; if occult blood or blood pigment is present, a blue colour develops. Synonym: guaiac test, Schonbein's test, van Deen's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Gunzberg's test | A test for hydrochloric acid utilizing phloroglucin vanillin (Gunzberg's reagent), with which a bright red colour is produced in the presence of the acid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Guthrie test | <investigation> Bacterial inhibition assay for direct measurement of serum phenylalanine; in widespread use for detection of phenylketonuria in the newborn. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Gutzeit's test | A test for arsenic; a piece of zinc and a little sulfuric acid are added to the suspected liquid which is then boiled; a bit of filter paper with a silver nitrate solution is held in the vapor and will turn yellow if arsenic is present. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Romberg test | <clinical sign> With feet approximated, the patient stands with eyes open and then closed; if closing the eyes increases the unsteadiness, a loss of proprioceptive control is indicated, and the sign is positive. Synonym: Romberg test, Romberg's symptom, rombergism, station test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Romer's test | A test of historical interest: tuberculin, either pure or diluted, is injected intracutaneously into a guinea pig; if the animal is tuberculous, a large papule with a necrotic haemorrhagic centre appears in about 24 hours (cocarde or cockade reaction). (05 Mar 2000) |
| metrotrophic test | A test for the assay of oestrogenic substances; immature female rats (25 to 49 g) are injected subcutaneously with the hormone and killed after 6 hours, when the increase in uterine weight (due largely to imbibation of water) is taken as the criterion of oestrogenic activity. Synonym: Astwood's test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| metyrapone test | <endocrinology, investigation> This test measures the ability of the pituitary gland to secrete ACTH in response to a low serum cortisol level. Under normal conditions a low serum cortisol level should stimulate the pituitary to produce ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol. This test is performed by injecting metyrapone into the bloodstream and then measuring cortisol levels over a period of time. Metyrapone is a substance which inhibits an enzyme (steroid 11-beta hydroxylase) involved in the synthesis of cortisol. This enzyme normally converts 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol. When the enzyme is inhibited, 11-deoxycortisol levels will increase in the blood and urine and cortisol levels will go down. This test is useful in differentiating the different forms of Cushing's syndrome: adrenal hyperplasia versus primary adrenal tumour. Those with an adrenal tumour (or carcinoma) generally have no response to metyrapone injection, since the dose is insufficient to inhibit cortisol synthesis. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Ropes test | A test that reflects the polymerization of synovial fluid hyaluronate; a few drops of synovial fluid added to acetic acid form a clot; poor clot formation occurs in a variety of inflammatory conditions including septic arthritis, gouty arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Synonym: Ropes test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rorschach test | A projective test used to evaluate a broad range of personality variables including pathology of thought and perception. The subject's responses to inkblot prints are scored along with subjective interpretation by the test administrator. (12 Dec 1998) |
| MHA-TP test | A microtiter version of the Treponema pallidum haemagglutination test. Synonym: MHA-TP test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rose bengal radioactive test | A test of liver function used as a means of measuring hepatic blood flow and for scintillation scanning of the liver to determine size and contour of the liver, or the presence of space-occupying masses in the liver. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Rosenbach-Gmelin test | A test for bile in the urine or other body fluid; nitric acid, with a little nitrous acid, is cautiously added to a few milliliters of the material to be tested; if bile (bilirubin) is present, it is oxidised to varying degrees, thereby resulting in disklike zones that are (from the interface outward) yellow, red, violet, blue, and green; development of green and violet layers is essential to the validity of the test. Synonym: Rosenbach-Gmelin test. (05 Mar 2000) |