Blood Disorders:
Glossary

Acute: Sudden onset of symptoms or disease.

Anemia: A condition of the blood caused by a deficiency of red blood cells.

Antibody: A protein substance normally formed by the body to help defend it against disease. Excessive production of an abnormal antibody can cause disease.

Antigen: A protein that prompts the body to produce antibodies.

Anti-inflammatory: A medication that helps to reduce inflammation of tissue in the body.

Autoimmune Disorder: Diseases caused by the immune system producing antibodies against the tissue of its own body.

Basophils: A type of white blood cell that plays a special role in allergic reactions.

B-Lymphocytes: A type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell, used by the immune system. B-cells secrete antibodies into the body fluid to fight foreign substances that cause infections, disease, or poisoning.

Biological Therapy: A treatment that stimulates the body's own immune system to fight cancer or blood disorders.

Blood Count: A blood test used to determine the number of the various types of blood cells.

Blood Transfusions: Infusion of blood or blood components directly into the bloodstream to remedy blood loss or to treat anemia.

Blood-clotting Factors: Components of plasma that are involved in the clotting of blood.

Bone Marrow: The spongy substance in the inner cavity of bone which produces red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Bone Marrow Biopsy: A test where a needle is inserted into the bone of the hip or sternum (breastbone) to obtain a marrow sample for microscopic study and examination.

Chemotherapy: A treatment using medicines.

Deciliter: 1/10 of a liter.

Eosinophils: A type of white blood cell that plays a role in allergic reactions to foreign substances.

Erythrocytes (Red Blood Cells): The cells that carry oxygen.

Essential Thrombocythemia: A disorder that causes an overproduction of platelets.

External Beam Radiation Therapy: Treating cancer and other disorders with the use of radiation. Sometimes it is called radiation therapy.

Extramedullary Hematopoiesis: Formation of blood cells outside of the bone marrow, such as in the spleen.

Femtoliters: 1/1,000,000,000,000,000 of a liter (this is very small!).

Genetic Disorder: A disorder passed down in genes through generations of a family.

Gout: A painful inflammation in the joints, usually caused by an excessive amount of uric acid in the body.

Gram: A unit of mass, approximately equivalent to the weight of a paperclip.

Hematologist: A doctor who specializes in the study of blood and bone marrow.

Hormonal Therapy: A treatment that uses the body's hormones to treat cancer. This can be done by medication, surgical removal of the hormone-producing glands, or radiation therapy.

Idiopathic Myelofibrosis (MF): A disorder that causes the bone marrow to gradually be replaced with fibrous scar tissue and the spleen or liver to become enlarged.

Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A disorder that causes the immune system to make antibodies that destroy platelets, a type of blood cell. When the platelets are destroyed, a person is more susceptible to easy bruising and bleeding.

Immune System: A complex group of cells and substances that protect the body from infection and disease.

Immunotherapy: A treatment that stimulates the body's immune system to fight cancer.

Intravenous: Into a vein.

Leukocytes: White blood cells.

Liter: Approximately equal to a quart.

Lymphocytes: A type of white blood cell. Three important kinds of lymphocytes are T-cells, B-cells, and Natural Killer Cells. T-cells attack and destroy virus-infected cells, foreign tissue and cancer cells; B-cells produce antibodies that help destroy foreign substances; Natural Killer cells destroy cancer cells and virus-infected cells.

Microangiopathy: The clotting of blood in the small blood vessels of organs.

Microliter: 1/100,000 of a liter. In a blood test, a microliter is a single drop of blood.

Monoclonal antibody: Monoclonal antibodies are a type of biological therapy produced in the laboratory. In ITP and macroglobuliemia, monoclonal antibodies are used to decrease the number of cells producing inappropriate antibodies.

Monocytes: A type of white blood cell.

Neutrophils: A mature white blood cell that fights bacterial infections. Neutrophils are also called segmented neutrophils or segs.

Petechiae: Small areas of pinpoint bleeding on the skin. This can be due to low platelet counts.

Phlebotomy: The removal of blood from a vein.

Picograms: 1/100,000,000,000 of a gram (this is very small!).

Plasma: The fluid part of blood.

Plasma Exchange: In plasma exchange, blood is filtered through a machine that removes plasma and replaces it with plasma from healthy blood donors.

Plasmapheresis: During this procedure, blood is filtered through a machine that removes the antibody-containing plasma and replaces it with a substitute. Plasmapheresis can be used to temporarily reduce the amount of antibodies in the blood.

Plateletpheresis: A blood bank procedure that removes platelets from the blood.

Platelets (Thrombocytes): A blood cell that assists in blood clotting. Patients are at risk to bleed if the platelet count is less than 50,000.

Polycythemia Vera (PV): A type of blood disorder that causes an excess of red blood cells. Some patients may also have an increased number of white blood cells and platelets.

Radioactive: Giving off high-dose energy in the form of particles. Radioactive substances can be used in the treatment of some blood disorders.

Red Blood Cells (Erythrocytes): The blood cells that carry oxygen and are responsible for the red color of the blood.

Splenectomy: Surgical removal of the spleen.

Thrombocytes (Platelets): Cells used to make the blood clot.

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP): A disorder of multiple clots in small blood vessels of many organs of the body.

Ultraviolet Light: Light that is beyond the visible spectrum.

Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia: A rare disease that starts in the bone marrow and causes a rapid growth of B-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

White Blood Cells: Blood cells used by the immune system to fight bacteria and viruses.