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Natalie Cole Optimistic About Her Battle with Hepatitis C
Although currently recovering from combination therapy's side effects, the well-respected vocalist Natalie Cole may have conquered the Hepatitis C virus....
Hep C and Fatty Liver Disease Linked
Pittsburgh researchers have found an enzyme known to participate in fat production is elevated in those with Hepatitis C. Further exploration of this enzyme could help physicians better predict which HCV patients are at risk of developing fatty liver disease....
Anadys' ANA773 Hepatitis C Phase I Trials in Netherlands
Reducing the dosing schedule in half, Anadys Pharmaceuticals continues its investigation of ANA773, a Toll-Like Receptor-7 agonist prodrug. Approaching the Hepatitis C virus differently from most other contenders, Phase I clinical trials evaluating the safety, tolerability and viral-load decline associated...
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- IAB
- Intra-Abdominal
- Iatrogenic
- Unintended and unwanted result
of treatment
- IBD
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Ibuprofen
- An ingredient in certain over-the-counter
(nonprescription) medications that reduce swelling, pain, and fever
- IBW
- Ideal Body Weight
- ICD
- International Classification of Disease
- Iceland Moss
- Cetraria Islandica--This
herb is considered demulcent, tonic, and nutritive when deprived of its bitter
principle. Recommended in chronic pulmonary troubles, catarrh, digestive disturbances,
dysentery, and advanced tuberculosis
- ICF
- Intracellular Fluid
- Icing Liver
- Perihepatitis chronica hyperplastica
- Icterus
- Jaundice, Jaundiced
- ID
- Intraduodenal
- IDST
- Intraductal Secretion Test
- IDU
- -Injection Drug Use
- IEL
- Intraepithelial Leukocyte
- IFN
- Abbreviation for Interferon
- IG
- Immune Globulin
- IG
- Intragastric
- IgA
ont>, etc--Immunoglobulin
- IgM - IgG
- Immunoglobulin type M, type
G. Vulgarisation name: antibodies
- IJ
- Intrajejunal
- IL
- Ileum
- ILDL
- Intermediate Low Density Lipoprotein
- Ileoanal Anastomosis
- Surgical procedure
where the entire colon together with the diseased inner lining of the rectum
is removed, leaving the outer muscle coats of the rectum intact. The end of
the ileum is tunneled through the remaining rectum and joined to the anus. Because
the rectal muscles and anal valve are left intact, stools can be passed normally
- Ileocolitis
- Inflammation of the ileum
and colon
- Ileostomy
- Surgical creation of an opening
from the ileum to the surface of the body
- Ileum
- Lowest part or end of the small
intestine
- IM
- Abbreviation for intramuscular (pertaining
to injections)
- Immune Adherence Reaction
- Method for
the detection of very small quantities of antibody in which the antigen-antibody-complement
complex adheres to indicator cells, usually primate erythrocytes or nonprimate
blood platelets. The reaction is dependent on the number of bound C3 molecules
on the C3b receptor sites of the indicator cell
- Immune Complex Diseases
- Diseases caused
by the formation of immune complexes in tissues or by the deposition of circulating
immune complexes in tissues resulting in acute or chronic inflammation. Deposition
of circulating immune complexes is generally associated with glomerulonephritis,
vasculitis, synovitis, endocarditis, neuritis, and dermatitis. Locally formed
complexes are involved in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases. Circulating
complexes may result from administration of heterologous antigens (as in serum
sickness) or from the immune response to microbial antigens or tumor antigens
- Immune Globulin
- Hyperimmune globulin
is prepared from the plasma of individuals who have high titers of antibody
against a specific organism or antigen. It is derived from artificially hyperimmunized
donors or from persons convalescing from natural infections. Specific immune
globulins available include those for hepatitis B, rabies, tetanus, and varicella-zoster
- Immune Response
- The body's to specific
invading antigens. The body’s protective reaction to an invasion by any
disease-causing organisms or "foreign" substances
- Immune Sera
- Serum that contains antibody
or antibodies; it may be obtained from an animal that has been immunized either
by injection of antigen into the body or by infection with microorganisms containing
the antigen. Antisera may be monovalent (specific for one antigen) or polyvalent
(specific for more than one antigen)
- Immune System
- System which the body defends
itself against invasion by viruses, fungi, bacteria, malignant cells and parasites.
Cellular and molecular components having the primary function of distinguishing
self from non-self and defense against foreign organisms or substances. The
primary cellular components are lymphocytes and macrophages, and the primary
molecular components are antibodies and lymphokines
- Immune Tolerance
- Specific failure of
a normally responsive individual to make an immune response to a known antigen.
It results from previous contact with the antigen by an immunologically immature
individual (fetus or neonate) or by an adult exposed to extreme high-dose or
low-dose antigen, or by exposure to radiation, antimetabolites, antilymphocytic
serum, etc
- Immunity
- Physiologic state which makes
the body able to recognize materials as foreign to itself and neutralize, eliminate,
or metabolize them with or without injury to its own tissues
- Immunity, Mucosal
- Nonsusceptibility to
the pathogenic effects of foreign microorganisms or antigenic substances as
a result of antibody secretions of the mucous membranes. Mucosal epithelia in
the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive tracts produce a form of
IgA (IGA, Secretory) that serves to protect these ports of entry into the body
- Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy
- A disease
characterized by fever, itching, rash, sweating spells, weight loss, proliferation
of small blood vessels and of immunoblasts, generalized lymphadenopathy, and
enlargement of the liver and spleen
- Immunocompromised Host
- Human or animal
whose immunologic mechanism is deficient because of an immunodeficiency disorder
or other disease or as the result of the administration of immunosuppressive
drugs or radiation
- Immunogenicity
- The ability of a vaccine
to stimulate the immune system, as measured by the proportion of individuals
who produce specific antibody or T cells, or the amount of antibody produced
- Immunoglobulin
- Protein molecule functioning
as a specific antibody, it will bring about the humoral phase of immunity.
Five possible types of Immunoglobulin include, IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE, IgD
- Immunology
- Branch of medicine that focuses
on the immune system, allergies and induced sensitivity. Scientific study of
the bodies response to antigens
- Immunomodulating
- Capable of altering
immunity
- Immunopathology
- Damage to the host caused
by its own immune response against a pathogen
- Immunosuppression
- Prevention or diminution
of the immune response, as by irradiation or by administration of antimetabolites,
antilymphocyte serum, or specific antibody; also known as Immunodepression.
A reduction in the capacity of the immune system. Caused by infection (eg HIV),
drug treatment, pregnancy and malnutrition among others. Immunosuppressed individuals
are commonly referred to as immunocompromised
- Immunosuppressive Agents
- Agents that
suppress immune function by one of several mechanisms of action. Classical cytotoxic
immunosuppressants act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Others may act through activation
of suppressor T-cell populations or by inhibiting the activation of helper cells.
While immunosuppression has been brought about in the past primarily to prevent
rejection of transplanted organs, new applications involving mediation of the
effects of interleukins and other cytokines are emerging
- Immunotherapy, Active
- Active immunization
where vaccine is administered for therapeutic or preventive purposes. This can
include administration of immunopotentiating agents such as BCG vaccine and
Corynebacterium parvum as well as biological response modifiers such as interferons,
interleukins, and colony stimulating factors in order to directly stimulate
the immune system
- Imuran®
- Immunosuppressive
drug used with other immunosuppressive drugs to help prevent the rejection of
a transplanted organ. Also known by its chemical name, azathioprine
- Impaction
- Hardened mass of stool difficult
to pass from the body
- Incidence
- The number of new infections
that occurs in a given period of time. The frequency of occurrence of a condition,
disease, symptom, or injury
- Incision
- Cut, or a wound produced by
cutting with a sharp instrument
- Inclusion Bodies
- Strange and unusual
structures found inside a host cell during virus replication
- Incubation Period
- The time that elapses
between infection and the appearance of symptoms of a disease
- IND
- Investigational New Drug
- Indigestion
- Term used to indicate any
disruption in the digestive process. Symptoms commonly include heartburn, nausea,
bloating, and gas. Physicians often call it Dyspepsia
- Indirect Life Cycle
- A life cycle which
requires one or more intermediate hosts before the definitive host species is
reinfected
- Indirect Transmission
- Transmission of
a parasite through an indirect life cycle
- Indocyanine Green
- A green dye used especially
in testing liver blood flow and cardiac output
- Infantile Liver
- Biliary Cirrhosis of
children
- Infarction
- Permanent damage to tissue
or organ from interruption of its blood supply
- Infected
- A host who has an infection
- Infection
- Disease that results from the
presence of harmful microorganisms in the body. The presence of a parasite within
a host where it may or may not cause disease
- Infectious Diarrhea
- Also called Traveler's
Diarrhea. Diarrheal illness caused by an infectious agent: bacterial, protozoan
or viral
- Infectious Disease Subspecialist
- These
subspecialists deal with infectious disease of all types and in all organs.
Conditions requiring selective use of antibiotics call for this special skill.
AIDs patients and patients with fevers which have not been explained are often
diagnosed and treated by these subspecialists. Infectious disease subspecialists
are experts in preventive medicine and conditions associated with travel
- Infectious Period
- The time period during
which infecteds are able to transmit an infection to any susceptible host or
vector they contact. The infectious period may not necessarily be associated
with symptoms of the disease
- Infiltrate
- Introduce medication, typically
local anesthetic, into an area of tissue
- Inflammation
- Localized protective response
elicited by injury or destruction of tissues. Symptoms: pain, heat, swelling
and redness, loss of function, involves a complex series of events, including
dilatation of arterioles, capillaries, and venules, with increased permeability
and blood flow; exudation of fluids, including plasma proteins; and leukocytic
migration into the inflammatory focus. Condition in which the body is trying
to respond to localized injury or destruction of tissues
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Name for a
group of disorders in which various parts of the intestinal tract are inflamed.
Most common disorders are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
- Inflammatory Debris
- Damaged tissue and
tissue-products resulting from inflammation (usually infection) rather than
other pathological processes
- Influenza A
- Contagious infectious disease
attributed to a filterable virus and causing fheadache, fever, pain in the limbs
and back. Inflammation of the respiratory tract
- Infotherapy
- Information Therapy
- Infusion
- Extraction of the active properties
of a substance by soaking or steeping it, usually in water
- Ingestion
- To consume orally
- Inhalation
- Act of drawing air into the
lungs. Method of treating illness by inhaling medicinals rather than injecting
or drinking them
- Initial Treatment
- The first time you
are treated for a specific disease or ailment. Treatment after this is called
Subsequent Treatment
- Injection
- Introduction of nutritional
or medicinal materials through a needle into the body
- Injection Site
- Particular place on the
body where the injection is made
- Inlet Sinusoid
- The entry channel from
a portal venule into the sinusoidal network
- Innervation
- Distribution or supply of
nerves to a part
- Inoculum
- The amount of parasite to which
an individual host is exposed at transmission
- Inorganic Phosphorus
- Hyperphosphatemia
may occur in myeloma, Paget's disease of bone, osseous metastases, Addison's
disease, leukemia, sarcoidosis, milk-alkali syndrome, vitamin D excess, healing
fractures, renal failure, hypoparathyroidism, diabetic ketoacidosis, acromegaly,
and malignant hyperpyrexia. Drugs causing serum phosphorous elevation include
androgens, furosemide, growth hormone, hydrochlorthiazide, oral contraceptives,
parathormone, and phosphates. Hypophosphatemia can be seen in a variety of biochemical
derangements, incl. acute alcohol intoxication, sepsis, hypokalemia, malabsorption
syndromes, hyperinsulinism, hyperparathyroidism, and as result of drugs, e.g.,
acetazolamide, aluminum-containing antacids, anesthetic agents, anticonvulsants,
and estrogens (incl. oral contraceptives). Citrates, mannitol, oxalate, tartrate,
and phenothiazines may produce spuriously low phosphorous by interference with
the assay
- Inositol
- Usually considered part of the
vitamin B complex. Thought that along with choline, inositol is necessary for
the formation of lecithin within the body. Involved in calcium mobilization.
Inositol aids in the breakdown of fats, helps reduce blood cholesterol, and
even helps prevent thinning hair. A deficiency of Inositol may result in high
blood cholesterol, constipation, eczema, and/or hair loss
- In Situ Hybridization
- A technique that
localizes specific nucleic acid sequences within intact chromosomes, eukaryotic
cells, or bacterial cells through the use of specific nucleic acid-labeled probes
- Insoluble
- An adjective that describes
a substance that is incapable of being dissolved in a liquid
- Insulin
- Protein pancreatic hormone that
is essential especially for the metabolism of carbohydrates and is used in the
treatment and control of diabetes mellitus. Hormone produced in the islets of
Langerhans in the pancreas, concerned with the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism
by controlling glucose levels in the blood. Extracted from the pancreas of pork
or beef for use in treatment of diabetes
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor
- Either of
two somatomedins that are produced in the liver and in fibroblasts, the adrenal
glands, and the gonads, that are produced esp. in response to growth hormone,
and that mediate growth hormone activity
- Insulinase
- An enzyme found especially
in liver that inactivates insulin
- Inter
- Prefix meaning between or among
- Intercostal
- Between ribs
- Interductal
- Between ducts
- Interferon
- A naturally occurring chemical
(protein) in the body that helps the immune system to clear viruses such as
hepatitis B or C. Our livers produce at least 26 types of natural interferon.
Produced by body cells in response to invasion by viruses and other intracellular
parasites; it interferes with the synthesis of new virus and is effective against
certain protozoal parasitic infections. Any of a group of heat-stable soluble
basic antiviral glycoproteins of low molecular weight that are produced usually
by cells exposed to the action of a virus, sometimes to the action of another
intracellular parasite (such as bacterium), or experimentally to the action
of some chemicals, and that include some used medically as antiviral or antineoplastic
agents
- Interferon-Alpha
- One of the type I interferons
(Interferon Type I) produced by peripheral blood leukocytes or lymphoblastoid
cells when exposed to live or inactivated virus, double-stranded RNA, or bacterial
products. It is the major interferon produced by virus-induced leukocyte cultures
and, in addition to its pronounced antiviral activity, causes activation of
NK cells. It is used experimentally in the treatment of hairy-cell leukemia
- Interferon Alfa-2a
- Interferon A (human
leukocyte protein moiety reduced). A type I interferon consisting of 165 amino
acid residues with lysine in position 23. This protein is produced by recombinant
DNA technology and resembles interferon secreted by leukocytes. It is used extensively
as an antiviral or antineoplastic agent
- Interferon Alfa-2b
- Interferon alpha 2b
(human leukocyte clone Hif-SN 206 protein moiety reduced). Type I interferon
consisting of 165 amino acid residues with arginine in position 23. This protein
is produced by recombinant DNA technology and resembles interferon secreted
by leukocytes. Used extensively as an antiviral or antineoplastic agent
- Interferon Alfa, Recombinant
- A type I
interferon with antiviral and antineoplastic activity produced by recombinant
DNA technology. Can be a mixture of the kind of interferon secreted by leukocytes
or lymphoblasts
- Interferon, Beta
- The major interferon
produced by double-stranded RNA-induced fibroblast cultures; the primary producer
cells are fibroblasts, epithelial cells, and macrophages, and the major activity
is antiviral activity. Called also epithelial, fibroblast, or fibroepithelial.
One of the type I interferons produced by fibroblasts in response to stimulation
by live or inactivated virus or by double-stranded RNA. It is a cytokine with
antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulating activity
- Interferon-Gamma, Recombinant
- A type
II interferon produced by recombinant DNA technology. It is similar to the interferon
secreted by lymphocytes and has antiviral and antineoplastic activity
- Interferon Inducers
- Agents that promote
the production and release of interferons. They include mitogens, lipopolysaccharides,
and the synthetic polymers Poly A-U and Poly I-C. Viruses, bacteria, and protozoa
have been also known to induce interferons
- Interferons
- Any of a family of glycoproteins
that exert virus-nonspecific but host-specific antiviral activity by inducing
the transcription of cellular genes coding for antiviral proteins that selectively
inhibit the synthesis of viral RNA and proteins. Interferons also have immunoregulatory
functions (inhibition of B cell activation and antibody production enhancement
of T cell activity, and enhancement of NK cell cytotoxic activity) and can inhibit
the growth of nonviral intracellular parasites. Production of interferon can
be stimulated by viral infection, especially by the presence of double-stranded
RNA, by intracellular parasites (chlamidiae, rickettsiae), by protozoa (Toxoplasma)
and by bacteria (streptococci, staphylococci) and bacterial products (endotoxins).
Interferons have been divided into three distinct types associated with specific
producer cells and functions, but all animal cells are able to produce interferons,
and certain producer cells (leukocytes and fibroblasts) produce more than one
type (both interferon- and interferon). Abbreviated IFN
- Interferon Type I
- Interferon secreted
by leukocytes, fibroblasts, or lymphoblasts in response to viruses or interferon
inducers other than mitogens, antigens, or allo-antigens. They include alpha-
and beta-interferons (Interferon-Alpha and Interferon-Beta)
- Interferon Type II
- Major interferon produced
by immunologically stimulated (by mitogens or antigens) lymphocyte cultures;
the primary producer cells are T lymphocytes, and the major activity is immunoregulation.
IFN- has been implicated in aberrant expression of class II histocompatibility
antigens by tissue cells (such as thyroid cells) that do not normally express
them, leading to autoimmune disease
- Interleukin-1
- Macrophage-produced interleukin
that induces the production of interleukin-2 by T cells that have been stimulated
by antigen or mitogen; at least two types exist, designated and IL-1 or a similar
protein is also produced by epithelial cells and stimulates fibroblast proliferation
and release of proteolytic enzymes (e.g., collagenase) and prostaglandins in
inflammatory processes. IL-1 also appears to be identical to endogenous pyrogen.
Formerly called lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF)
- Interleukin-2
- Interleukin produced by
T cells in response to antigenic or mitogenic stimulation and the signal carried
by interleukin-1. It stimulates the proliferation of T cells bearing specific
receptors for IL-2, which are only expressed by antigenically stimulated T cells.
IL-2 also seems to induce production of interferon. It is used as an anticancer
drug in the treatment of a wide variety of solid malignant tumors. Also called
T-cell growth factor (TCGF)
- Interleukin-3
- Lymphokine produced by
antigen- or mitogen-activated T lymphocytes, which stimulates proliferation
of hematopoietic as well as lymphoid stem cells; a colony-stimulating factor
for all bone marrow progenitor cells. IL-3 supports the growth and differentiation
of early hematopoietic and lymphoid stem cells as well as that of more mature
hematopoietic cells, including granulocytes, macrophages, and mast cells
- Interleukin-4
- Soluble factor produced
by activated T-lymphocytes that causes proliferation and differentiation of
B-cells. Interleukin-4 induces the expression of class II major histocompatibility
complex and Fc receptors on B-cells. It also acts on T-lymphocytes, mast cell
lines, and several other hematopoietic lineage cells including granulocyte,
megakaryocyte, and erythroid precursors, as well as macrophages
- Interleukin-5
- Factor promoting eosinophil
differentiation and activation in hematopoiesis. It also triggers activated
B-cells for a terminal differentiation into Ig-secreting cells
- Interleukin-6
- Factor that stimulates
the growth and differentiation of human B-cells and is also a growth factor
for hybridomas and plasmacytomas. It is produced by many different cells including
T-cells, monocytes, and fibroblasts
- Interleukin-7
- Hematopoietic growth factor
that promotes growth of B-cell precursors and also is co-mitogenic with Interleukin-2
for mature T-cell activation. It is produced by bone marrow stromal cells
- Interleukin-8
- Cytokine that activates
neutrophils and attracts neutrophils and T-lymphocytes. It is released by several
cell types including macrophages, monocytes, T-lymphocytes, endothelial cells,
fibroblasts and keratinocytes by an inflammatory stimulus. IL-8 is a member
of the beta-thromboglobulin superfamily. Structurally related to platelet factor
4
- Interleukin-9
- Factor that is thought
to be a regulator of hematopoiesis. It has been shown to enhance the growth
of human mast cells and megakaryoblastic leukemic cells as well as murine helper
t-cell clones. IL-9 is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 32-39 that
is derived from T-cells, and maps to human chromosome 5
- Interleukin-10
- Factor that is
a coregulator of mast cell growth. It is produced by T-cells and B-cells and
shows extensive homology with the Epstein-Barr virus BCRFI gene
- Interleukin-11
- Lymphohematopoietic cytokine
that has the ability to modulate antigen-specific antibody responses, potentiate
megakaryocytes, and regulate bone marrow adipogenesis
- Interleukin-12
- Heterodimeric cytokine
that stimulates the production of interferon gamma from T-cells and natural
killer cells and also induces differentiation of TH1 cells. Consequently, it
is the initiator of cell-mediated immunity
- Interleukin-13
- T-lymphocyte-derived cytokine
that produces proliferation, immunoglobulin isotype switching, and immunoglobulin
production by immature B-lymphocytes. It appears to play a role in regulating
inflammatory and immune responses
- Interleukin-14
- Cytokine that induces
B-cell proliferation, inhibits immunoglobulin secretion, and selectively expands
certain B-cell subpopulations
- Interleukin-15
- Cytokine that stimulates
the proliferation of T-lymphocytes and shares biological activities with IL-2.
IL-15 also can induce B-lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation
- Interleukin-16
- Cytokine produced by activated
T-lymphocytes that stimulates the migration of CD4-positive lymphocytes and
monocytes. It has been reported to suppress HIV replication
- Interleukin Receptors
- Cell surface proteins
that bind interleukins and trigger intracellular changes influencing the behavior
of cells
- Interleukins
- Generic term for a group
of protein factors produced by macrophages and T cells in response to antigenic
or mitogenic stimulation and affecting primarily T cells
- Internal Medicine
- Branch of medicine
dealing especially with the diagnosis and medical treatment of disorders and
diseases of the internal structures of the human body
- International Unit--IU
- Quantity of a
biologically active substance required to produce a specific response. This
unit is often used to express a dosage amount
- Intestinal Flora
- Name for the bacteria,
fungi and yeasts, that normally grow in the intestinal tract
- Intestinal Mucosa
- Intestinal lining.
Surface lining of the intestines in which the process of absorption occurs
- Interstitial
- Situated within but not
restricted to or characteristic of a particular organ or tissue, Affecting the
interstitial tissues of an organ or part, Occuring in the part of a fallopian
tube in the wall of the uterus
- Intra
- Prefix meaning within, into or
during
- Intrahepatic
- Situated or occurring within
or originating in the liver
- Intravenous
- Injected into a vein. Also
called IV
- Intravenous Drugs
- Drugs that are injected
by a needle directly into a vein
- Intravenous Feeding
- Procedure in which
necessary fluids, nutrients and salts, are supplied to the body by way of the
veins
- Intubation
- Insertion of an endotracheal
tube to help an unconscious patient breathe
- Investigational Drug
- New drug that is
undergoing clinical trials to try and prove its safety and effectiveness
- Inversion
- Turning inward, inside out,
upside down, or other reversal of normal relation of a part
- In Vitro
- Latin term meaning "in glass"
or "in body". The term is applied to biological processes studied experimentally
in isolation from the organism
- In Vivo
- From the Latin meaning "in living"
The term is applied the study of processes in the living organism
- Iodine
- Essential mineral that is an integral
part of the thyroid hormones, thyroxin and triodothyronine which have important
metabolic roles and govern basal metabolism. Iodine aids in the development
and functioning of the thyroid gland, regulates the body's production of energy,
and helps burn excess fat by stimulating the rate of metabolism. The best known
iodine deficiency symptom is goiter. Other iodine deficiency problems are reduced
vitality, hypothyrodism, inability to think clearly, low resistance to infection,
loss of control of the muscles of the mouth resulting in mouth contortion and
drooling, defective teeth, tendency to obesity and cretinism which is a congenital
abnormal condition marked by physical stunting and mental deficiency
- Ion
- Atom or group of atoms that has acquired
an electric charge through the gain or loss of an electron or electrons
- IPPB
- Iintermittent Positive Pressure
Breathing
- Iridin
- An oleoresin prepared from the
common blue flag for use as a purgative and liver stimulant
- Irish Moss
- Also known as Carrageen and
pearl moss. Used effectively as a demulcent and mucilaginous. Irish moss is
considered an excellent remedy for bronchitis, coughs, tuberculosis, and intestinal
problems. In its raw form, it is used as a bulk laxative, which coats and soothes
the entire gastrointestinal tract. In various forms, it relieves peptic and
duodenal ulcers in humans without having any adverse effects on the colon
- Iron
- Essential mineral. Iron's major
function is to combine with protein and copper in making hemoglobin. Prevents
anemia: as a constituent of hemoglobin, transports oxygen throughout the body.
Virtually all of the oxygen used by cells in the life process are brought to
the cells by the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Iron is a small but most vital,
component of the hemoglobin in 20,000 billion red blood cells, of which 115
million are formed every minute. Serum iron may be increased in hemolytic, megaloblastic,
and aplastic anemias, and in hemochromatosis, acute leukemia, lead poisoning,
pyridoxine deficiency, thalassemia, excessive iron therapy, and after repeated
transfusions. Drugs causing increased serum iron include chloramphenicol, cisplatin,
estrogens (including oral contraceptives), ethanol, iron dextran, and methotrexate.
Iron can be decreased in iron deficiency anemia, acute and chronic infections,
carcinoma, nephrotic syndrome, hypothyroidism, in protein- calorie malnutrition,
and after surgery. The iron assay is one of the less reliable tests on screening
panels, so any abnormalities should be followed with other inquiry concerning
iron metabolism (history of blood loss, alcohol consumption, lab tests for TIBC,
ferritin, etc) before undertaking therapeutic interventions. A deficiency of
iron may result in general weakness, paleness of skin, constipation, and/or
anemia
- Iron Liver
- The condition of the liver
in hepatic siderosis
- Irrigate
- Wash out a wound or operative
field with a cleansing fluid
- Irrigation
- Washing out of a wounded surface
or cavity with a stream of fluid
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Also called
IBS, Mucous Colitis, Spastic Colon. Common functional disorder characterized
by abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea or constipation or alternately by both
- Irritant
- Substance that produces irritation
or inflammation of the skin or internal tissue
- IS
- Immune System
- Ischemia
- When the heart is starving for
oxygen
- Islets of Langerhans
- Irregular microscopic
structures, varying from a few to hundreds of cells, scattered throughout the
pancreas and comprising its endocrine portion. There are three cell types: alpha,
secreting glucagon; beta, secreting insulin; and delta, secreting somatostatin
- Isoantigens
- Antigens that exist in alternative
(allelic) forms in a species, and thus induce an immature response when one
form is transferred (as by blood transfusion or tissue graft) to members of
the species who lack it. Typical isoantigens are the blood group antigens
- Isoleucin
- Essential amino acid. Essential
for proper growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults
- IU
- International Units
- IV
- Intravenous
- IV Catheter
- Small needle with a hollow
tube inserted into a vein and used to give medicines or fluids
- IVDA
- Intravenous Drug Abuse
- IVDU
- Intravenous Drug User
- IVH
- Intravenous Hyperalimentation
- IVIG
- Intravenous gamma globulin
- IVN
- Intravenous Nutrition
- IV Push
- Injecting medication rapidly
into a vein to hit the blood system all at once
- IVU
- Intravenous Urography
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