Adrenal gland:

Human organ located next to the kidney that produces various hormones including cortico-steroids.

ANA-test:

Anti-Nuclear Antibody test. One of important to test the lupus-related immune system.

Antigen:

Generally any foreign substance that does not belong to one's own body.

Antibody:

Chemical produced by the body to recognize and bind to the antigens.

Arthralgia:

Pain (-algia) in joints

Auto-immune disorder:

A disease or condition that causes your immune system to respond as if parts of your body are a foreign substance (auto-immune). Your body directs antibodies and white cells against itself, causing inflammation and injury to certain tissues and organs.

C3 C4 complement:

substance found in normal blood serum that destroys pathogenic bacteria and materials.

Estrogen:

female sex hormone, important in menstural cycles, lactation and conception.

Hydralizine:

a drug used for the treatment of high-blood pressure

Immuno-fluorescent:

A method used to do ANAtest. Various cells participating in the immune system such as antibodies are tagged with special agents that can be seen under the special fluorescent light.

Leukopenia:

white blood count below 4,000 cells per cubic millimeter

Lymphopenia:

less than 1,500 lymphocytes (one of constituent cell of blood that is important in various immune response) per cubic millimeter

Non-erosive arthritis:

involving two or more peripheral joints (arthritis in which the bones around the joints do not become destroyed)

Percarditis:

Inflammation of the pericardiac sac (a sac containing heart)

Photosensitivity:

Sensitivity toward light

Pleurism:

Pain in the chest on deep breathing

Pleuritis:

Inflammation of the pleura (a sac surrounding lungs)

Procainamide:

a drug used for the treatment of arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)

Raynaud's phenomena:

fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold. Reduction in blood flow to extremeties, that turns them cold, white or even blue. The phenomena can also occur at the tip of nose.

scleroderma:

Dark pigmentation of the skin. Not all the black spots are sclerodema.

Sjogren's syndrome:

syndrome characterized by dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia) resulting from immunologically medicated destruction of the lacrimal (tear producing) and salivary (saliva producing) glands.

Thrombocytopenia:

less than 100,000 platelets (one of constituent cell of blood that is important in blood clotting) per cubic millimeter

Titer:

Dilution method which counts the number of the dilution to get blood free of antibodies of interest. High titer dilution points to high level of antibody in blood.

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