| SPIA | solid-phase immunoabsorption; solid-phase immunoassay |
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| IMDS | Idiopathic Myelo-Dysplastic Syndrome = Preleukemia = Refractory Anemi... |
| RA | 1) Refractory Anemia 2) Rheumatoid Arthritis ? Arthritis 3... |
| RAEB | Refractory Anemia with Excess of Blasts |
| RAEB-T | Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts in Transformation |
| relative leukocytosis | An increased proportion of one or more types of leukocytes in the circulating blood, without an actual increase in the total number of white blood cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| relative molecular mass | The sum of the atomic weight's of all the atoms constituting a molecule; the mass of a molecule relative to the mass of a standard atom, now 12C (taken as 12.000). Relative molecular mass (Mr) is the mass relative to the dalton and has no units. See: atomic weight. Synonym: molecular mass, molecular weight ratio, relative molecular mass. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative polycythemia | A relative increase in the number of red blood cells as a result of loss of the fluid portion of the blood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative risk | <epidemiology> The proportion of diseased people amongst those exposed to the relevant risk factor divided by the proportion of diseased people amongst those not exposed to the risk factor. This should be used in those cohort studies where those with and without disease are followed to observe which individuals become diseased. (05 Dec 1998) |
| relative scotoma | A scotoma in which there is visual depression but not complete loss of light perception. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative sensitivity | The sensitivity of a medical screening test as determined by comparison with the same type of test; e.g., sensitivity of a new serological test relative to sensitivity of an established serological test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative specificity | The specificity of a medical screening test as determined by comparison with the same type of test (e.g., specificity of a new serological test relative to specificity of an established serological test). (05 Mar 2000) |
| relative value scales | Coded listings of physician or other professional services using units that indicate the relative value of the various services they perform. They take into account time, skill, and overhead cost required for each service, but generally do not consider the relative cost-effectiveness. Appropriate conversion factors can be used to translate the abstract units of the relative value scales into dollar fees for each service based on work expended, practice costs, and training costs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| relative viscosity | The ratio of the viscosity of a solution or dispersion to the viscosity of the solvent or continuous phase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| 5-year relative survival rate | <statistics> The likelihood that a patient will not die from causes associated with his or her cancer for at least 5 years after diagnosis. This is the standard many professionals use when determining someone a survivor of cancer. (16 Dec 1997) |
| accelerated phase of leukaemia | Refers to chronic myelogenous leukaemia that is progressing. The number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acceleration phase | <cell biology, cell culture> A period of increasing growth before the log phase in a culture of microbes. After the culture is started on a medium, at first there is no growth (the lag phase) and then the microbes start to gradually grow (acceleration phase) until they reach a constant maximum rate of growth (log phase). (15 Jan 1998) |
| acute-phase protein | <haematology> These plasma proteins (in addition to fibrinogen) increase 25% or more in response to inflammation and injury are under direct control of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (hepatocyte-stimulating factor). Other proteins which increase are ceruloplasmin, C3 and C4 which increase 50% or more; alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, alpha-1 antitrypsin, haptoglobin and fibrinogen (the major determinant of viscosity 1 ) which increase two- to fourfold; C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A which increase several hundred-fold. Despite long-held clinical opinion to the contrary, available data indicate that neither ESR nor measurement of specific acute-phase reactants are useful in excluding underlying infection or inflammation regardless of the pretest probability. These proteins are secreted into the blood in increased or decreased quantities by hepatocytes in response to trauma, inflammation, or disease. They can serve as inhibitors or mediators of the inflammatory processes. Certain acute-phase proteins have been used to diagnose and follow the course of diseases or as tumour markers. See also: amyloid, c-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, viscosity. (25 Jun 1999) |
| acute-phase reaction | <immunology, rheumatology> Refers to the changes in synthesis of certain proteins within the serum during an inflammatory response, which provides rapid protection for the host against microorganisms via non-specific defense mechanisms. It consists of fever, an increase in inflammatory humoral factors, and an increased synthesis by hepatocytes of a number of proteins or glycoproteins usually found in the plasma; the reaction is mediated by endogenous pyrogens, the hypothalamus, adrenal hormones, and other factors. (12 Jul 2000) |
| anal phase | In psychoanalytic personality theory, the stage of psychosexual development, occurring when a child is between 1 and 3 years, during which activities, interests, and concerns are centreed around the anal zone. (05 Mar 2000) |