| complement pathway, classical | The sequential activation of complement, initiated by antigen-antibody complex and the binding of complement factor c1q to the fc region of the antibody. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| complement system | A group of more than 20 serum proteins, some of which can be serially activated and participate in a cascade resulting in cell lysis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| complement unit | The smallest amount (highest dilution) of complement that will cause haemolysis of a unit of red blood cells in the presence of a haemolysin unit. Synonym: alexin unit. (05 Mar 2000) |
| component of complement | Any one of the nine distinct protein units (designated C1 through C9 and distributed in the a, b, and g electrophoretic partitions of normal serum) that effect the immunological activities long associated with complement. C1 is a complex of three subunits: C1q, C1r, and C1s. C1q (overbar indicates "active form") activates proenzyme C1r to C1r which activates C1s to C1s (also known as C1 esterase), which converts proenzyme C2 to C2b and produces C4b from C4. C2b combines with C4b to form "classical-complement-pathway C3/C5 convertase" (also known as C3 convertase, C5 convertase, and C42). This enzyme cleaves C3 to C3a and C3b, and C5 to yield C5a and C5b, as does "alternative-complement-pathway C3/C5 convertase" (also known as proenzyme factor B, properdin factor B, C3 proactivator, and heat-labile factor). Complement factor I (also known as C3b or C3b/C4b inactivator) inactivates C3b and C4b by a different proteolytic cleavage. Several autosomal recessive disorders have been identified in which one or more of the complement components have been deficient or completely absent. (05 Mar 2000) |
| congenital total lipodystrophy | Lipodystrophy characterised by almost complete lack of subcutaneous fat, accelerated rate of growth and skeletal development during the first 3 to 4 years of life, muscular hypertrophy, cardiac enlargement, hepatosplenomegaly, hypertrichosis, renal enlargement, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypermetabolism; both autosomal dominant and X-linked varieties exist. (05 Mar 2000) |
| heparin complement | The protein component of heparin in blood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterectomy, total | Complete surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. Also called a complete hysterectomy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| near-total thyroidectomy | Removal of nearly all of each thyroid lobe leaving unresected only a small portion of gland adjacent to the entrance of the recurrent laryngeal nerve into the larynx. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thyrotoxic complement-fixation factor | A form of thyrotoxin; an antigen found most readily in thyroid tissue from thyrotoxic individuals; known to be chemically and immunologically distinct from thyroglobulin, and fixes complement when combined with antibody related to the gamma-globulin fraction of serum. With the exception of extremely small concentrations, the antigen is rarely found in normal glands or in diseased glands that are not associated with thyrotoxicosis; it is probably an intracellular substance (possibly a constituent of the "microsomal fraction"), and does not contain iodine in significant quantity. Not related to the complement-fixation reaction occurring with serum in Hashimoto's disease, in which the antigen is thyroglobulin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| total | Whole; not divided; entire; full; complete; absolute; as, a total departure from the evidence; a total loss. " Total darkness." "To undergo myself the total crime." Total abstinence. See Abstinence. Total depravity. See Original sin, under Original. Synonym: Whole; entire; complete. See Whole. Origin: F, fr. LL. Totalis, fr. L. Tolus all,whole. Cf. Factotum, Surtout, Teetotum. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| total anomalous pulmonary venous return | <radiology> (TAPVR) admixture lesion: cyanosis, increased pulmonary blood flow, must have L to R shunt for survival (e.g., atrial septal defect) associated with, atrial septal defect, asplenia (12 Dec 1998) |
| total aphasia | In which all aspects of speech and communication are severely impaired. at best, patients can understand or speak only a few words or phrases; they cannot read or write. Synonym: mixed aphasia, total aphasia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| total ascertainment | Method by which all members of a population at risk of a trait are discerned or equally likely to be contained in a sample thereof. (05 Mar 2000) |
| total body hypothermia | The deliberate reduction of total body temperature, in order to reduce tissue metabolism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| total body irradiation | Radiotherapy often given in several doses prior to bone marrow transplantation with the aim of killing any residual leukaemia in the patient. It is used in conjunction with high-dose anti-cancer drugs. The procedure and its side-effects will be discussed individually with the patient. (13 Nov 1997) |