| lat | latent; lateral |
|---|---|
| LCM | latent cardiomyopathy; left costal margin; leukocyte-conditioned medium; lowest common multiple; lym... |
| LIBC | latent iron-binding capacity |
| LMP | large multifunctional protease; last menstrual period; latent membrane potential; left mentoposterio... |
| LP | labile peptide; labile protein; laboratory procedure; lactic peroxidase; lamina propria; laryngophar... |
| desensitization, allergy | Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy war (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effect on the mast cells). This form of treatment is very effective for allergies to pollen, mites, cats, and especially stinging insects (e.g., bees, hornets, yellowjackets, wasps, velvet ants, fire ants). Allergy immunotherapy usually takes 6 months to a year to become effective and shots (injections) are usually required for 3-5 years. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| drug allergy | Sensitivity (hypersensitivity) to a drug or other chemical. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immediate allergy | A type I allergic reaction; so called because in a sensitised subject the reaction becomes evident usually within minutes after contact with the allergen (antigen), reaches its peak within an hour or so, then rapidly recedes. See: immediate reaction, anaphylaxis. Compare: delayed allergy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| immunotherapy, allergy | Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy war (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effect on the mast cells). This form of treatment is very effective for allergies to pollen, mites, cats, and especially stinging insects (e.g., bees, hornets, yellow jackets, wasps, velvet ants, fire ants). Allergy immunotherapy usually takes 6 months to a year to become effective and shots (injections) are usually required for 3-5 years. (12 Dec 1998) |
| insulin allergy | When a person's body has an allergic or bad reaction to taking insulin made from pork or beef or from bacteria, or because the insulin is not exactly the same as human insulin or because it has impurities. The allergy can be of two forms. Sometimes an area of skin becomes red and itchy around the place where the insulin is injected. This is called a local allergy. In another form, a person's whole body can have a bad reaction. This is called a systemic allergy. The person can have hives or red patches all over the body or may feel changes in the heart rate and in the rate of breathing. A doctor may treat this allergy by prescribing purified insulins or by desensitisation. See: desensitisation. (09 Oct 1997) |
| test, skin, for allergy | A test done on the skin to identify the allergy substance (allergen) triggering the allergic reaction. A small amount of the suspected allergy substance is placed on the skin. The skin is then gently scratched through the small drop with a special sterile needle. If the skin reddens and, more importantly, swells, then allergy to that substance is probable. (12 Dec 1998) |
| early latent syphilis | Infection with Treponema pallidum, the organism of syphilis, after the primary and secondary phases have subsided, during the first year after infection, before any manifestations of tertiary syphilis have appeared. (05 Mar 2000) |
| late latent syphilis | Usually infectious in pregnant women only, who may pass the infection on to the foetus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent | Dormant. A state that some cancer cells might assume. (Opp: growing or active). (16 Dec 1997) |
| latent adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency not clinically evident but which can become severe if a sudden stress, such as an intercurrent acute illness, develops. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent carcinoma | <tumour> An epithelial neoplasm showing microscopic features of malignancy believed to have remained localised and asymptomatic for a long period; e.g., small carcinoma's of the prostate in old men, often found incidentally at autopsy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent carrier | A person, typically a prospective parent, bearing the appropriate genotype of a trait (homozygous for recessive, homozygous or heterozygous for dominant, hemizygous or homozygous for X-linked) that manifests the trait only under certain conditions, e.g., age, an environmental insult, etc. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent coccidioidomycosis | A form of coccidioidomycosis not differentiated clinically from upper respiratory infections of viral or bacterial aetiology; positive skin tests are useful in demonstrating past and present infections; tests for circulating serum antibodies are prognostic as well as diagnostic in some cases. Synonym: asymptomatic coccidioidomycosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent content | The hidden, unconscious meaning of thoughts or actions, especially in dreams or fantasies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent diabetes | A mild form of diabetes mellitus in which the patient displays no overt symptoms, but displays certain abnormal responses to diagnostic procedures, such as an elevated fasting blood glucose concentration or reduced glucose tolerance. Synonym: chemical diabetes. (05 Mar 2000) |