| NF | nafcillin; National Formulary; nephritic factor; neurofibromatosis; neurofilament; neutral fraction;... |
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| RF | radial fiber; radio frequency; receptive field; regurgitant fraction; Reitland-Franklin [unit]; rela... |
| CFA | colonization factor antigen; colony-forming assay; complement-fixing antibody; complete Freund's adj... |
| MB | Bachelor of Medicine [Lat. Medicinae Baccalaureus]; buccal margin; isoenzyme of creatine kinase cont... |
| ANF | alpha-naphthoflavone; American Nurses' Foundation; antineuritic factor; antinuclear factor; atrial n... |
| tumour stem cell assay | <investigation> A cytologic technique for measuring the functional capacity of tumour stem cells by assaying their activity. It is used primarily for the in vitro testing of antineoplastic agent. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| Farr type assay | <investigation> Method of radioimmunoassay in which free antigen remains soluble and antibody antigen complexes are precipitated. (18 Nov 1997) |
| 17-ketogenic steroid assay test | A colourimetric test, based on the Zimmermann reaction, which indicates metabolites or adrenal and testicular steroids excreted as 17-ketones in the urine; increased values are most striking in adrenocortical tumours, decreased values in Addison's disease or in panhypopituitarism. Synonym: ketogenic corticoids test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| focus-forming assay | <investigation> A lab technique used to find out if a particular piece of DNA contains oncogenes (genes which are associated with cancer). This is done by putting the DNA into animal cells which normally show contact inhibition, or which stop growing when they come into physical contact with other cells or reach a certain density in the culture. If the cells lose contact inhibition and form areas of densely-packed cells (called foci) after receiving the DNA, it means that the DNA did contain oncogenes. (05 Jan 1997) |
| leukocyte adherence assay test | A test to detect the ability of leukocytes to adhere to bacteria, performed in vitro using nylon fibres to measure adherence. (05 Mar 2000) |
| leukocyte bactericidal assay test | A test of leukocytes to determine their ability to kill a culture of live bacteria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| LH assay | A blood test which measures the amount of luteinising hormone (LH). LH is a protein hormone that is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. In women, a surge in LH at midcycle causes ovulation. For the next 7-10 days LH maintains the corpus luteum which synthesises progesterone. The corpus luteum disintegrates after about 10 days if fertilization does not occur. In men, LH stimulates production of testosterone by the Leydig cells in the testes. This test may be used to evaluate anovulatory bleeding, infertility, ovarian cysts and multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) I. Normal values in males: 7 to 24 U/L. Normal values in females: greater than 6-30 U/L. Greater than normal values can indicate: anorchia, hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, menopause, ovarian failure, polycystic ovary disease, precocious puberty and Turner's syndrome. Lower than normal values can indicate hypopituitarism. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Lowry-Folin assay | A method for determining protein concentrations using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Synonym: Lowry-Folin assay. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Lowry protein assay | A method for determining protein concentrations using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Synonym: Lowry-Folin assay. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerator factor | <chemical> Heat- and storage-labile plasma glycoprotein which accelerates the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin in blood coagulation. Factor v accomplishes this by forming a complex with factor xa, phospholipid, and calcium (prothrombinase complex). Deficiency of factor v leads to owren's disease. Chemical name: Blood-coagulation factor V (12 Dec 1998) |
| acetate replacement factor | <biochemistry> 1,2 dithiolane 3 valeric acid. Regarded as a coenzyme in the oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex of the citric acid cycle. Involved generally in oxidative decarboxylations of _ keto acids. A growth factor for some organisms. (18 Nov 1997) |
| adrenal weight factor | A postulated substance of adenohypophysial origin responsible for maintenance of the weight of the adrenal cortex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocorticotropic releasing factor | Hormone produced by hypothalamus that causes pituitary to secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| a-factor | <molecular biology> A protein which is found in the bacterial genus Streptomyces that helps start the production of streptomycin and the process of morphological differentiation. It is used in biotechnology to induce these functions in mutant strains of Streptomyces that cannot produce it themselves. (09 Feb 1998) |
| angiogenesis factor | Substance causing proliferation of new blood vessels. It is found in tissues with high metabolic requirements, such as the retina, and in certain cancers. The factor is also released by hypoxic macrophages at the edges or outer surfaces of wounds and initiates revascularization in wound healing. (12 Dec 1998) |