| PR | by way of the rectum [Lat. per rectum]; far point [of accommodation] [Lat. punctum remotum]; palindr... |
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| RVR | reduced vascular response; renal vascular resistance; repetitive ventricular response; resistance to... |
| SER | sebum excretion rate; sensitizer enhancement ratio; sensory evoked response; service; smooth endopla... |
| SIRS | soluble immune response suppressor; Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms; systemic inflammatory... |
| WR | Wassermann reaction; water retention; weakly reactive; weak response; whole response; wiping reactio... |
| biological response modifier | <pharmacology, oncology> A substance used in adjuvant therapy that takes advantage of the bodys own natural defense mechanisms to inhibit the growth of a tumour. (16 Dec 1997) |
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| biological response modifiers | Substances that stimulate the body's response to infection and disease. The body naturally produces small amounts of these substances. Scientists can produce some of them in the laboratory in large amounts and use them in cancer treatment. Also called BRMs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| biphasic response | Two separate and distinct responses that are separated in time, immediate reaction to an antigenic challenge followed by a recurrence of symptoms after an interval of quiescence. (05 Mar 2000) |
| booster response | The response of the immune system to the second or subsequent occasion on which it encounters a specific antigen. (18 Nov 1997) |
| brainstem evoked response audiometry | An electrophysiologic measure of auditory function utilizing responses produced by the auditory nerve and the brainstem to repetitive acoustic stimuli. (05 Mar 2000) |
| galvanic skin response | A change in electrical resistance of the skin, occurring in emotion and in certain other conditions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| recruiting response | <neurology> The gradual increase to a maximum in a reflex when a stimulus of unaltered intensity is prolonged. (12 Dec 1998) |
| partial response | <oncology> A decrease of at least 50 percent in the sum of the measurements of all evaluable target lesions or tumours seen in a study. (16 Dec 1997) |
| relaxation response | An integrated hypothalamic reaction resulting in decreased sympathetic nervous system activity which, physiologically and psychologically, is almost a mirror image of the body's response's to Cannon's emergency theory (flight or fight response); can be self-induced through the use of techniques associated with transcendental meditation, yoga, and biofeedback. See: emergency theory. (05 Mar 2000) |
| response | An action or movement due to the application of a stimulus. Origin: L. Respondere = to answer, reply (18 Nov 1997) |
| response generalisation | <biology> The principle that after an organism learns to respond in a particular manner to a stimulus, that stimulus is effective in eliciting similar responses. (12 Dec 1998) |
| response hierarchy | Alternative reactions or modes of adjustment to a given situation arranged in the probable order of prior effectiveness; e.g., a mother attempting to discipline an unruly child may first request, cajole, then plead, scold, and finally punish; her behaviours can be ordered along a response hierarchy for further monitoring of effectiveness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| response rate | <oncology> The percentage of patients showing partial or complete response to the given treatment. (16 Dec 1997) |
| graft-versus-host response | <haematology> A common and serious, complication of bone marrow transplantation where there is a reaction of donated bone marrow against a patient's own tissue. When donor lymphocytes or a graft containing lymphocytes that are immunologically competent are given to a patient that has low immunological competence, an incompatibility reaction can result. This is due to antibodies from the donor against antigens in the host. This is due to mismatch of MHC Class I antigens and can produce lymphocyte clones that will react by a variety of processes against the host and cause damage. The clinical condition can be fatal and is due to the donor's immune cells recognising the host cells as foreign. The clinical entity characterised by anorexia, diarrhoea, loss of hair, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, growth retardation, and eventual death brought about by the graft-versus-host reaction. It can occur in either chronic or acute forms and is treatable by immunosuppressive drugs. Seen most commonly following bone marrow transplantation, acute disease is seen after 5-40 days and chronic disease weeks to months after transplantation, affecting, principally, the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and skin. Radiological appearances of the gastrointestinal tract include; thickened wall, mucosal folds thickened or effaced, increased secretions most likely to be rapid transit of GI tract, mass most likely to be focal oedema, fibrosis, hallmark: diffuse, uniform thickening of small bowel. Synonym: GVH disease. Acronym: GVHD (20 Sep 2002) |
| complete response | <oncology> The disappearance of all clinical evidence of disease. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean cure, as microscopic metastases may remain undetected, are likely to regrow and become resistant to treatment. May also be used in relation to a pathological specimen, where no residual abnormality can be detected in the specimen, in which cas it is referred to as a pathological complete reponse. Acronym: CR (16 Mar 1998) |