C-reactive protein Health Dictionary

The presence of protein in the urine, sometimes a symptom of kidney compromise. See ALBUMINURIA... proteinuria

Molecular constituent of all cells comprising amino acid building blocks.... protein

An aseptic (that is, not involving infection) ARTHRITIS secondary to an episode of infection elsewhere in the body. It often occurs in association with ENTERITIS caused by salmonella (see FOOD POISONING) and certain SHIGELLA strains, and in both YERSINEA and CAMPYLOBACTER enteritis. Non-gonococcal urethritis, usually due to CHLAMYDIA, is another cause of reactive arthritis; Reiter’s syndrome is a particularly ?orid form, characterised by mucocutaneous and ocular lesions.

The SYNOVITIS usually starts acutely and is frequently asymmetrical, with the knees and ankles most commonly affected. Often there are in?ammatory lesions of tendon sheaths and entheses (bone and muscle functions) such as plantar fasciitis (see FASCIITIS). The severity and duration of the acute episode are extremely variable. Individuals with the histocompatibility antigen HLA B27 are particularly prone to severe attacks.... reactive arthritis

A protein produced in the gut and liver of the FETUS. Abnormality in the fetus, such as neural tube defect, may result in raised levels of alphafeto protein in the maternal blood. In DOWN’S (DOWN) SYNDROME, levels may be abnormally low. In either case, screening of the pregnancy should be carried out, including AMNIOCENTESIS to check the amount of alpha-feto protein in the amniotic ?uid. The protein may also be produced in some abnormal tissues in the adult – in patients with liver cancer, for example.... alpha-feto protein

Reagent used by intradermal administration in the Mantoux (tuberculin) test for TB.... purified protein derivative (ppd)

Reduce intake of foods, taking small helpings: meat, eggs, poultry, fish, milk, cheese, dried peas and beans, pulses, nuts, bread, pasta, wheat flour.

Accept: rice, cornflour, honey, salad vegetables, all fruits, preserves. ... diet - low protein

Proteins present in blood plasma, including albumin, blood clotting proteins, and immunoglobulins.... plasma proteins

Large molecules consisting of hundreds or thousands of amino acids linked into long chains. Proteins may also contain sugars (glycoproteins) and lipids (lipoproteins). There are 2 main types of proteins. Fibrous proteins are insoluble and form the structural basis of many body tissues. Globular proteins are soluble and include all enzymes, many hormones, and some blood proteins, such as haemoglobin.... proteins

The formation of protein molecules through the joining of amino acids.... protein synthesis

a protein of low molecular weight found in the urine of patients with multiple *myeloma and rarely in patients with *lymphoma, *leukaemia, and *Hodgkin’s disease. [H. Bence-Jones (1814–73), British physician]... bence-jones protein

(PTH-RP) a protein that is secreted by certain malignant tumours and is the main cause of malignant *hypercalcaemia. PTH-RP, which has effects similar to *parathyroid hormone, stimulates generalized bone resorption and excessive calcium reabsorption in the kidney tubules. It is most commonly produced by lung tumours, squamous-cell carcinomas of other organs, melanomas, and tumours of the breast, liver, pancreas, bladder, and prostate.... parathyroid hormone-related protein

an enzyme that catalyses the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a specific amino acid residue of an intracellular protein (usually serine, threonine, or tyrosine), thereby affecting the biological activity of the protein. Protein kinase inhibitors are drugs that block the action of protein kinases in tumour cells and are used in the treatment of cancer. They include *sorafenib, *sunitinib, and *temsirolimus. See also tyrosine kinase inhibitor.... protein kinase

adj. (in psychiatry) describing mental illnesses thought to be precipitated by events in the psychological environment. See also endogenous.... reactive

a condition of postprandial *hypoglycaemia, of varying severity, induced by excessive levels of insulin release from the pancreas. It can be divided into early and late forms, depending on whether the insulin release occurs less than or more than three hours after the meal. The early form is due to the rapid discharge of ingested carbohydrate from the stomach into the small bowel, immediately triggering hyperinsulinaemia. It can occur without obvious cause but is most commonly associated with upper-bowel surgery. The late form is due to a loss of the early-phase insulin response causing excessive postprandial *hyperglycaemia, which then itself triggers an exaggerated insulin response with subsequent hypoglycaemia.... reactive hypoglycaemia