Medical Glossary

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19186
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GB virus C




GB virus C

A virus related to the hepatitis C virus but which does not cause hepatitis and, in fact, is not known to be responsible for any disease. Infection with GB virus C (GBV-C) is beneficial to HIV-infected patients. They enjoy longer survival if they are coinfected with this virus and HIV than if they have HIV alone. Having two viruses is better than one here. Having both HIV and GB virus C is better than having HIV alone. GB virus C (GBV-C) is also called hepatitis G. However, the designation GB virus C (GBV-C) is preferred because the virus is not a cause of hepatitis.

RELATED TERMS
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Virus
Ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein.

Hepatitis
Inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, alcohol, toxic chemicals, and certain drugs. Symptoms include jaundice (yellowish skin caused by the buildup of bile pigments in the body), fever, appetite loss and gastrointestinal upset.

Disease
Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.

Infection
Anything that invades the body and reproduces. Infections can be bacteria, protozoa, fungi, or viruses. Bacteria and fungi are one celled creatures that cause many infections including strep throat, bladder infections, and some lung infections. Fungi cause “athlete’s foot” and thrush, an infection in the mouth. Protozoa are small organisms with many cells that can cause infections in the guts or in the lungs. Most healthy people do not get protozoal infections, but people with suppressed immune systems can. Viruses are not really organisms; they are tiny particles that can live only inside another cell. They reproduce by taking over a cell and causing that cell to make more virus particles, rather than doing what the cell is supposed to do. Viruses cause most colds and flu cases.



SIMILAR TERMS
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Gaucher disease
A series of 5 diseases due to deficient activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase, leading to accumulation of glucocerebroside in tissues of the body. The 5 types of Gaucher disease encompass a continuum of clinical findings from a lethal form before or just after birth to a form so mild that it may not be diagnosed until old age. All 5 types of Gaucher disease are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.

Gaucher disease, type 1
The most common and best known form of Gaucher disease. It affects the spleen, liver, and bone marrow and spares the brain. The symptoms include enlargement of the spleen (usually the first sign), anemia, low blood platelets, increased skin pigmentation, and a yellow fatty spot on the white of the eye (a pinguecula). Severe bone involvement can lead to pain and collapse of the bone of the hips, shoulders, and spine.

Gaucher disease, types 2-5
A series of disease due to glucocerebrosidase deficiency and accumulation of glucocerebroside in cells. By comparison with type 1 Gaucher disease, these are far less frequent forms of Gaucher disease.

Gay gene
A gene located on the X chromosome which was alleged to determine male homosexuality. The "gay gene" was dubbed homosexuality 1 (HMS1) and the male sexual orientation gene. It was thought to be in chromosome band Xq28. However, one would expect there to be strong selective pressures against a gene for male homosexual orientation. The original claim for the "gay gene" was made in 1993 by Dean H. Hamer and colleagues. There has been no independent confirmation of the existence of a "gay gene" and today there is considerable doubt about its existence.

Gay suicide risk
High rates of suicide have consistently been reported among homosexuals, particularly among adolescents and young adults.

GB virus C

GBV-C
GB virus C is genetically related to the hepatitis C virus but which does not cause hepatitis and, in fact, is not known to be responsible for any disease. Infection with GB virus C (GBV-C) seems to be beneficial to HIV-infected patients. They enjoy longer survival if they are coinfected with this virus and HIV than if they have HIV alone. GB virus C (GBV-C) is also called hepatitis G. However, the designation GB virus C (GBV-C) is preferred because the virus is not a cause of hepatitis.

GDF-8
The gene encoding growth and differentiation factor, also known as myostatin.

Gefitinib
A drug that attaches to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the surfaces of cells. The drug was designed to treat non-small-cell lung cancer. Marketed under the brand name Iressa.

Geiger counter
The most commonly used portable radiation detection and measuring instrument, consisting of a gas-filled tube containing electrodes, between which an electrical voltage but no current flows. When ionizing radiation passes through the tube, a short, intense pulse of current passes from the negative electrode to the positive electrode and is measured or counted. The number of pulses per second measures the intensity of the radiation field. Geiger counters are highly sensitive to beta particles but relatively insensitive to gamma rays and x-rays.

Gel electrophoresis
The process in which molecules (such as proteins, DNA, or RNA fragments) can be separated according to size and electrical charge by applying an electric current to them while they are in a gel. The current forces the molecules through pores in a thin layer of gel, a firm jelly-like substance. The gel can be made so that its pores are just the right dimensions for separating molecules within a specific range of sizes and shapes. Smaller fragments usually travel further than large ones.

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This dictionary contains 19186 terms.







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