| acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia | <haematology> A form of leukaemia which is characterised by the proliferation of immature bone marrow precursor cells in the marrow and immature white blood cells (granulocytes) in the bloodstream. Occurs primarily in adults and in infants under 1 year of age. Complications include abnormal bleeding and susceptibility to infections. Symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, fevers, weakness, pallor, bone pains, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, easy bruising, enlarged lymph nodes and joint pains. Trisomy-8 is the most common cytogenetic abnormality observed, followed by monosomy-7 and monosomy-5. Approximately 8% of cases show trisomy-8, mostly in AML (M1), AM (M4) and acute monocytic leukaemia (M5). Many pre-leukaemic conditions, acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia and secondary leukemia show monosomy-7 or deletion of the long arm of chromosome 7. Treatment includes chemotherapy and/or bone marrow transplant. Acronym: ANLL Incidence: 2.5 cases per 100,000 (all ages). Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (07 Apr 1998) |
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| acute promyelocytic leukaemia | Leukaemia presenting as a severe bleeding disorder, with infiltration of the bone marrow by abnormal promyelocytes and myelocytes, a low plasma fibrinogen, and defective coagulation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adult T-cell leukaemia | Lymph nodes show a mixture of small and large atypical cells which are polymorphic and express nuclear pleiomorphism. Adult T-cell leukaemia is caused by HTLV-1 and is rare in the US and Europe but common in Japan. Tumour cells express CD2, CD3, CD5 and lack CD7. The most common chromosome change reported in adult T-cell leukaemia is presence of the 14q + marker (05 Mar 2000) |
| aleukaemic leukaemia | Leukaemia in which abnormal (or leukaemic) cells are absent in the peripheral blood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| avian leukaemia-sarcoma complex | A term applied to a group of transmissible virus-induced diseases of chickens causing sarcoma, myeloblastosis, erythroblastosis, leukosis, osteopetrosis, and lymphomatosis. These agents are closely related viruses (avian leukosis-sarcoma virus) causing prolferation of immature erythroid, myeloid, or lymphoid cells, a division of the RNA tumour viruses (subfamily Oncovirinae) causing the avian leukosis-sarcoma complex of diseases; the viruses are subgrouped according to antigenic characteristics and growth in defined types of tissue culture cells. Synonym: avian erythroblastosis virus, avian leukosis-sarcoma virus, avian lymphomatosis virus, avian myeloblastosis virus, avian sarcoma virus, fowl erythroblastosis virus, fowl lymphomatosis virus, fowl myeloblastosis virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| avian leukaemia virus | <virology> Group of C type RNA tumour viruses (Oncovirinae) that cause various leukaemias and other tumours in birds. The acute leukaemia viruses, that are replication defective and require helper viruses, include avian erythroblastosis (AEV), myeloblastosis (AMV) and myelo cytomatosis viruses. AEV carries two transforming genes, v erbA and v erbB, the cellular homologue of the latter is the structural gene for the epidermal growth factor receptor. AMV carries v myb and causes a myeloid leukaemia, avian myelocytomatosis virus carries v myc. The avian lymphatic leukaemia viruses (ALV) are also Retroviridae but are replication competent and induce neoplasia only after several months, they often occur in conjunction with replication defective leukaemia viruses. (02 Jan 1998) |
| basophilic leukaemia | A form of granulocytic leukaemia in which there are unusually great numbers of basophilic granulocytes in the tissues and circulating blood; in some instances, the immature and mature basophilic forms may represent from 40 to 80% of the total numbers of white blood cells. Synonym: mast cell leukaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| B-cell leukaemia | A test which detects the presence of antigens on the surface of B lymphocytes. These antigens can indicate the presence of leukaemia. most often this is used to detect and differentiate chronic lymphocytic leukaemia from acute lymphocytic leukaemia. Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (27 Sep 1997) |
| bovine leukaemia | A lymphoid neoplastic disease in cattle caused by the bovine leukaemia virus. Enzootic bovine leukosis may take the form of lymphosarcoma, malignant lymphoma, or leukaemia but the presence of malignant cells in the blood is not a consistent finding. (12 Dec 1998) |
| bovine leukaemia virus | A type C retrovirus in the subfamily Retrovirinae, commonly infecting cattle, especially dairy cows; in a small proportion of infected cattle, it will cause enzootic bovine leukosis. Synonym: bovine leukosis virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cancer, leukaemia | Leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Leukaemias are grouped by how quickly the disease develops (acute or chronic) as well as by the type of blood cell that is affected. People with leukaemia are at significantly increased risk for developing infections, anaemia, and bleeding. Diagnosis of leukaemia is supported by findings of the medical history and examination, and examining blood under a microscope. Leukaemia cells can be detected and further classified with a bone marrow aspiration and/or biopsy. most patients with leukaemia are treated with chemotherapy. Some patients also may have radiation therapy and/or bone marrow transplantation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| radiation leukaemia virus | A murine leukaemia virus isolated from radiation-induced lymphomas in c57bl mice. It is leukemogenic, thymotrophic, can be transmitted vertically, and replicates only in vivo. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Maloney leukaemia virus | A retrovirus associated with leukaemia in rodents. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Rauscher leukaemia virus | An RNA retrovirus associated with leukaemia in rodents; similar to Friend virus. Synonym: Rauscher's virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mast cell leukaemia | A form of granulocytic leukaemia in which there are unusually great numbers of basophilic granulocytes in the tissues and circulating blood; in some instances, the immature and mature basophilic forms may represent from 40 to 80% of the total numbers of white blood cells. Synonym: mast cell leukaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |