General

ALAT - Alanine Aminotransferase #

An enzyme that is normally found in the liver cells and in the blood; an increase in ALT levels may indicate liver damage. www.pegassist.com

Bilirubin #

a chemical breakdown product of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a substance in red blood cells that grabs onto oxygen in the lungs and carries it to the tissues in the body where it releases it. When red blood cells wear out they are trapped in the spleen and destroyed, releasing bilirubin into the blood. This type of bilirubin is called unconjugated. The liver takes the bilirubin out of the blood and conjugates it by attaching a portion of another molecule to the bilirubin molecule. www.classkids.org

Blinding or Masking #

a procedure in which one or more parties to the trial are kept unaware of the treatment assignment(s). Single blinding usually refers to the subject(s) being unaware, and double blinding usually refers to the subject(s), investigator(s), monitor, and, in some cases, data analyst(s) being unaware of the treatment assignment(s).. www.trimanos.com

CD4 #

A protein found on the surface of T helper/inducer lymphocytes. CD4-positive , CD4 +, cells are involved in cell-mediated immunity and function as "helpers" by regulating the overall immune response to antigen insults. CD4 + cell counts diminish in AIDS. Normal levels are 1000-1200. By definition, CD4 + cell counts less than 200 and the presence of HIV are diagnostic indicators for AIDS. www.omegapharmaceuticals.com

Clinical trial #

any investigation in human subjects intended to discover or verify the clinical, pharmacological and/or other pharmacodynamic effects of an investigational product(s), and/or to identify any adverse reactions to an investigational product(s), and/or to study absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of an investigational product(s) with the object of ascertaining its safety and/or efficacy. www.trimanos.com

Creatinine #

a waste product from protein in the diet and from the muscles of the body. Creatinine is removed from the body by the kidneys; as kidney disease progresses, the level of creatinine in the blood increases. www.diabetes.org. a substance in the blood (a piece of a protein) which should be at a constant level in the blood. When creatinine levels rise in the blood, it can be a sign that the kidneys are not functioning well. Sometimes, creatinine is measured in the blood and in the urine, as part of a Creatinine Clearance test. www.abcbirth.com

Gamma GT - gamma glutamyl transpeptidase #

Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT or GGTP, or Gamma-GT) (EC 2.3.2.2) is a liver enzyme. Its level in the blood may be tested for, as an elevated level may indicate an abnormality in the liver, though this can be caused by a number of conditions including: congestive heart failure, cholestasis (congestion of the bile ducts), cirrhosis of the liver ,Restricted blood flow to the liver, Necrosis of the liver, Liver tumors, hepatitis, hepatotoxic drugs. en.wikipedia.org

GCP - Good Clinical Practice #

a standard for the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, recording, analyses, and reporting of clinical trials that provides assurance that the data and reported results are credible and accurate, and that the rights, integrity, and confidentiality of trial subjects are protected. www.trimanos.com

Haematology #

(hematology) the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs. wordnet.princeton.edu

Hematology #

(also haematology) the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs. wordnet.princeton.edu

LFT - Liver Function Tests #

groups of clinical biochemistry laboratory blood assays designed to give a doctor or other health professional information about the state of a patient's liver. Most liver diseases cause only mild symptoms initially, while it is vital that these diseases are detected early. Hepatic involvement in some diseases can be of crucial importance. en.wikipedia.org

LOINC - Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes #

A database protocol aimed at standardizing laboratory and clinical codes for use in clinical care, outcomes management, and research. Developed by the Regenstrief Institute for Health Care, LOINC is touted as a middleman solution to potential translation problems between labs that use HL7 reporting and recipient systems that may not be able to translate such data. www.payorid.com/glossary.asp

PHIN - the Public Health Information Network #

The Public Health Information Network (PHIN) is CDC’s vision for advancing fully capable and interoperable information systems in the many organizations that participate in public health. PHIN is a national initiative to implement a multi-organizational business and technical architecture for public health information systems. More at http://www.cdc.gov/phin/overview.html

Phosphatase #

an enzyme that hydrolyses phosphoric acid monoesters into a phosphate ion and a molecule with a free hydroxy group. This action is directly opposite to that of phosphorylases and kinases, which attach phosphate groups to their substrates at the expense of energy like ATP. A common phosphorylase in the body is alkaline phosphatase. en.wikipedia.org

RBC - red blood cells #

also called erythrocytes, main function is to transport oxygen to all the tissues in the body. www.healthsystem.virginia.edu

Serology #

the branch of science dealing with the measurement and characterization of antibodies and other immunological substances in body fluids, particularly serum. www.cdc.gov