| BlT | bleeding time; blood test; blood type, blood typing |
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| CBL | circulating blood lymphocytes; chronic blood loss; cord blood leukocytes |
| DRBC | denaturated red blood cell; dog red blood cell; donkey red blood cell |
| EHBF | estimated hepatic blood flow; exercise hyperemia blood flow; extrahepatic blood flow |
| MBF | medullary blood flow; muscle blood flow; myocardial blood flow |
| humoral antibodies | <immunology> Antibodies which are secreted by B lymphocytes circulating in the blood, in response to antigens found in body fluids. (06 Mar 1998) |
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| striational antibodies | <immunology> Thymoma occur in approximately 15% of patients with myasthenia gravis. Striational antibodies are found in 90% of patients with both myasthenia gravis and thymoma and are present in only 6% of myasthenia gravis patients <40 years of age without thymoma. They are absent in 82-100% of all patients with myasthenia gravis but without thymoma. The absence of striational antibodies argues against a thymoma in a patient with myasthenia gravis. Elevated values of striational antibodies (predominantly IgM) are found in 25% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with penicillamine. They are also useful when monitoring immunosuppressive therapy for detection of autoimmune complications of bone marrow transplantation including graft-versus-host disease. Measurement of striational antibodies and acetylcholine receptor antibodies is useful for predicting risk of myasthenia gravis in patients with thymoma and for predicting recurrence of thymoma. Antibodies to titin, which comprise at least some of the striational antibodies which react with the I band near the A-1 junction, are highly associated with the presence of thymoma in myasthenia gravis. Alpha-smooth muscle (alpha-SM) is also associated with striational antibodies. The alpha-SM actin isoform is expressed normally by vascular SM cells and by stromal fibroblastic cells in pathological conditions leading to fibrosis. Upregulatation of alpha-SM actin in the glomerulus indicates mesangial cell activation and is not always correlated with the degree of glomerulosclerosis. The relatively high incidence for ASA (anti-smooth muscle antibody) suggests that immune-mediated processes might be involved in the etiology of sudden deafness. (16 Dec 1997) |
| islet cell antibodies | In first-degree relatives of probands with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus the presence of high titre ICA of the IgG cytoplasmic variety (IgG -ICA) and ICA of the complement-fixing subgroup (CF-ICA) confer a relative risk of 75 for development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The presence of ICA combined with a decrease in the first-phase of insulin secretion ( less than 25 micro U/mL) is predictive with a 95% likelihood of the development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus within 12 months. Reproducible results among laboratories are possible with careful attention to selection of the human pancreas as substrate as well as to the use of dilutions to generate standard curves and to the conversion of results to units. The prozone phenomena described elsewhere are not common in our experience. Fifty percent of relatives with a single positive ICA test will develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus within 10 years, and 60-80% of relatives with both ICA and insulin autoantibodies (IAA) will develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus within 10 years. The predictive value for health of negative results for ICA and IAA is almost 99%. Strong, persistently positive ICA (i.e., 40 JDF U or greater), especially if accompanied by markedly decreased insulin secretion, are the best predictors of subsequent development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The 64 kD beta-cell autoantigen long thought to be an important target for ICA is not yet available from expression cloning despite efforts by several groups.13 ICA positivity correlates with rapid loss of C-peptide secretory capacity in newly diagnosed ICA-positive insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The predictive values of ICA for development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus within 10 years in first-degree relatives of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus increase from 40% at low levels of ICA to 100% at high levels, whereas the sensitivity is 88% at low levels and 31% at high levels. In general, the risk of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in relatives of probands increases with titre of ICA, is greater in multiplex families, and is increased in those less than 10 years of age with positive ICA. Although the prevalence of ICA in Japanese with autoimmune thyroid disease resembles that in Caucasians, the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Japanese population is only 1/30 - 1/50 that in Caucasians. Prediabetics positive for ICA and IAA have increased suppressor-inducer (CD45R) and decreased helper-inducer (CDw29) peripheral blood lymphocytes. In two randomised, prospective, placebo-controlled studies of recent-onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, cyclosporine immunosuppression increased the rate of non-insulin-requiring remissions as well as beta-cell function during drug treatment. Although 12 months of cyclosporine therapy decreases titres of ICA and insulin antibodies (IA) and increases glucagon-stimulated levels of serum C-peptide, the determination of ICA and IA and HLA-DR type are of no predictive value in selecting recent- onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Patients for cyclosporine immunointervention. Genetic control of autoimmunity in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is reviewed. EIA for autoantibodies to a 64 kD islet-cell protein is promising for prediction of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, but sensitivity and specificity are still suboptimal. See also: insulin antibodies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| islet-cell-stimulating antibodies | <immunology> Autoantibodies to a putative beta-cell receptor; stimulate the release of insulin both in rodents and man; may be analogous to the thyroid stimulating antibodies that cause grave's hyperthyroidism Synonym: icsta (05 Dec 1998) |
| Ku antibodies | Ku antibodies (a DNA-binding protein) are found in approximately 15-50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, Sj |
| lamin antibodies | Displaying a ring- or rim-type ANA pattern by indirect fluorescent antibody assay, lamin antibodies are found in a few patients with SLE. They are more common in patients with chronic autoimmune disease with an unusual triad of conditions including hepatitis, cytopenia(s) with a circulating anticoagulant or cardiolipin antibodies and cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis or probable brain vasculitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lymphocytotoxic antibodies | Antibody's specific for histocompatibility antigens of lymphocytes and which, upon combining with the antigens, induce cellular damage or death. (05 Mar 2000) |
| actinobacteria group | A group of gram-positive, heterogeneous bacteria. This group encompasses a range of morphologically, physiologically, and chemically different organisms and includes bacteria that form cocci, short rods, irregular rods, and mycelia that fragment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| alkyl group | <chemistry> A funtional group on an organic molecule which is derived from an alkane which has lost a hydrogen atom. (13 Nov 1997) |
| aluminum group | Aluminum, boron, gallium, indium, and thallium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| amino group | <biochemistry> An -NH2 group. Organic compounds which have this group are called amines. (09 Oct 1997) |
| anterior group of axillary lymph nodes | Lymph nodes located along the lateral thoracic vein; they receive the drainage of the pectoral region, including most of the drainage of the breast. Synonym: nodi lymphatici axillaris pectorales, anterior group of axillary lymph nodes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| apical group of axillary lymph nodes | The group of lymph node's located at the apex of the axillary fossa that receive lymphatic drainage from other groups of axillary node's and then drain in turn into the subclavian lymphatic trunk. Synonym: nodi lymphatici axillares apicales. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bethesda-Ballerup Group | A group of citrate-utilizing, slow lactose-fermenting bacteria (family Enterobacteriaceae) which share a similar series of antigens with the lactose-fermenting citrobacters; these organisms are now included in the genus Citrobacter without a distinction between prompt and slow lactose fermentation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bunyamwera group viruses | A large group of viruses from many parts of the world assigned to the bunyavirus genus of the family bunyaviridae. They are transmitted by mosquitoes and infect humans in some areas. This group contains the type species of the genus, bunyamwera virus. (12 Dec 1998) |