Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Glossary
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P
Parenchymal: Cellular material, essential substance of an organ
Paroxysm: A spasm or fit
Pathogen: Agent causing a disease
Pathogenesis: Mode of development of a disease
Pathology: The scientific study of the nature of disease
PDGF: Platelet-derived growth factor–a family of proteins that bind to cell surface receptors and stimulate the growth of cells
Penetrance: The degree or frequency with which a gene manifests its effect
Perfusion: Circulation of blood through an organ
PFT: Pulmonary function test
Phagocyte: Cells that ingest foreign matter and cell debris in the body
Phenotype: Set of observable characteristics of individual or group as determined by genotype or environment
Placebo: An inactive substance used as a control in an experiment
Plasma cells: Large anti-body producing cells that develop from B cells
Pleiotropism: The control or determination of more than one characteristic or function by a single gene
Pleura: Either of two membranous sacs, each of which lines one side of the thoracic cavity and envelops the contiguous lung
Pneumo: Lung, pulmonary
Pneumoconiosis: Lung disease from dust inhalation
Pneumonia: Acute or chronic disease marked by inflammation of the lungs
Pneumothorax: Collapse of a lung due to leakage of air into the space between the lung and chest wall
Polycythemia: Abnormally high level of red blood cells
Polymorphism: Single point substitution in a nucleic acid of a gene that may affect the expression of the gene
Polymyositis: Muscle inflammation
Polypeptide: A peptide containing between 10 and 100 amino acids
Prednisone: An analog of cortisone that is used as an anti-inflammatory agent
Prevalence: Number of people who have a disease at one point in time
Protein: Molecules consisting of many amino acids that have a wide variety of functions in the body
Proteomics: The large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and function in health and disease
Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs
Q
R
Rales: Clicking, rattling, or crackling noises heard on ausculation of the lungs during inhalation
RBID: Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease
Receptor: A specialized molecule on the surface of a cell that changes intracellular metabolism after receiving external stimuli
Refractory: Stubborn to, resist
Reflux: A flowing back
Reticular: Net like
RV: Residual volume, the amount of air in the lung at the end of maximal expiration
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