Medical Terminology - Study Section (Ch 14)

Allergen

Substance capable of causing a specific hypersensitivity reaction in the body; a type of antigen

Anaphylaxis

Exaggerated or unusual hyper sensitivity to foreign protein or other substance

Atopy

Hypersensitive or allergic state involving an inherited predisposition

CD4+ cells

Helper T cells that carry the CD4 protein antigen on their surface

Hodgkin lymphoma

Malignant tumor of lymphoid tissue in spleen and lymph nodes; Reed-Sternberg cells are often found on microscopic analysis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Virus (retrovirus) that causes AIDS

Kaposi sarcoma

Malignant lesion associated with AIDS; arises from the lining of capillaries and appears as red, purple, brown, or black skin nodules

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Group of malignant tumors involving lymphoid tissue; examples are follicular lymphoma and large cell lymphoma

Opportunistic infections

Infectious disease diseases associated with AIDS; they occur because HIV infection lowers the body’s resistance and allows infection by bacteria and parasites that normally are easily contained

Protease inhibitor

Drug that treats AIDS by blocking the production of protease, a proteolytic enzyme that helps create new viral pieces for HIV

Reverse transcriptase inhibitor (RTI)

Drug that treats AIDS by blocking reverse transcriptase, an enzyme needed to make copies of HIV

Wasting syndrome

Weight loss, decrease in muscular strength, appetite, and mental activity; associated with AIDS