| Acute |
Of short duration & coming on suddenly |
| Adrenal glands |
Small organs, located above the kidney, that produce many
hormones, including corticosteroids & epinephrine |
| Albumin |
A protein that circulates in the blood & carries materials
to cells |
| Albuminuria |
A protein in urine |
| Alopecia |
Hair loss |
| Anaemia |
A condition resulting from low red blood cell counts |
| Analgesic |
A drug that alleviates pain (painkiller) |
| Antibodies |
Special protein substances made by the body's white cells
for defense against bacteria & other foreign substances |
| Anticardiolipin antibody |
An antiphospholipid antibody |
| Anti-DNA |
Antibodies to DNA;seen in half of those with systemic lupus
& implies serious disease |
| Anti-ENA |
Old term for extractable nuclear antibodies, which largely
consist of anti-SM & anti-RNP antibodies |
| Antigen |
A substance that stimulates antibody formation;in lupus,
this can be a foreign substance or a product of the patient's
own body |
| Anti-inflammatory |
An agent that counteracts or suppresses inflammation |
| Antimalarials |
Drugs originally used to treat malaria that are helpful for
lupus |
| Antinuclear antibodies(ANA) |
Proteins in the blood that react with the nuclei of cells.
Seen in 96% of those with SLE, in 5% of healthy individuals,
& in most patients with autoimmune diseases
A titer of 1:80 or above is usually considered
positive |
| Antiphospholipid antibody |
Antibodies to a constituent of cell membranes seen in one-third
of those with SLE. In the presence of a co-factor, these antibodies
can altert clotting & lead to strokes, blood clots, miscarriages,
& low platelet counts. Also detected as the lupus anticoagulent |
| Anti-RNP |
Antibody to ribonucleoprotein. Seen in SLE & mixed connective
tissue disease |
| Anti-Sm |
Anti-Smith antibody; found only in lupus |
| Anti-SSA |
or the Ro antibody, is associated with Sjogren's syndrome,
sun sensitivity, neonatal lupus, & congenital heartblock |
| Anti-SSB |
or the La antibody, is almpost always seen with anti-SSA |
| Apheresis |
Process of removing blood or some component of it from
the body. |
| Apoptosis |
Programmed cell death |
| Arthralgia |
Pain in a joint |
| Arthritis |
Inflammation of a joint |
| Aseptic meningitis |
Inflammation of the lining of the brain (meninges) that is
not due to any infectious agent |
| Autoantibody |
An antibody to one's own tissues or cells |
| Autoimmunity |
Allergy to one's own tissues |
| B lymphocyte or B cell |
A white blood cell that makes antibodies |
| Basophils |
Make up less than 1% of white blood cells. These specialised
cells combat parasitic or fungal invasion, & also play a
roll in allergy. Normal range = up to 0.15 |
|
| Biopsy |
Removal of a bit of tissue for examination under the
microscope |
| Bullous lupus |
Produces fluid-filled blisters or a rash similar to
that of chickenpox. |
| Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) |
A product of protein metabolism. When the kidneys fail,
the BUN levels rise, as do the levels of uric acid |
| Bursa |
A sac of synovial fluid between tendons, muscles, &
bones that promotes easier movement |
| Butterfly rash |
Reddish facial eruption over the bridge of nose & cheeks,
resembling a butterfly in flight. Also known as Malar rash. |
| Cardiac tamponade |
Accumulation of fluid around the heart. |
| Cartilage |
Tissue material covering bone |
| Chillblains |
A term used to describe cold-blisters on or inflammation
of the fingers, toes or ears |
| Chromosomes |
Rod-shaped bodies in nucleus of cells containing the genes |
| Chronic |
Persisting over a long period of time |
| CNS |
Central nervous system |
| Cognition |
Awareness; ability to think methodically |
| Connective tissue |
The 'glue' that holds muscles, skin & joints together |
| Complement |
A group of proteins that, when activated, promote &
are consumed during inflammation.
CH50 (Complement, total hemolytic), Normal range=52-128
CAE units
Complement C4, Normal range = 30-60 mg/dl
Complement C3, Normal range = 83-240 mg/dl |
| Complete blood count(CBC) |
A blood test that measures the amount of red blood cells,
white blood cells, & platelets in the body |
| Corticosteroid |
Any natural anti-inflammatory hormone made by the adrenal
cortex; can also be made synthetically |
| Cortisone |
A synthetic corticosteroid |
| Creatinine |
A waste product of creatine metabolism. There are high
levels of creatinine in the blood when the kidneys are not functioning
properly |
| CREST syndrome |
A form of limited sclerodoma characterised by Calcium
deposits under the skin, Raynaud's phenomenon, Esophageal dysfunction,
Sclerodactyly or tight skin, & a rash called Telangiectasia |
| Crossover syndrome |
An autoimmune process that has features of more than one
rheumatic disease(e.g. lupus & scleroderma) |
| CRP (C-reactive protein) |
A blood protein. Raised levels are found in inflammation
such as infections |
| Cutaneous |
Relating to the skin |
| Cytokine |
A group of chemicals that signal cells to perform certain
actions |
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Lupus & Infections 
Lupus in Men