GLOSSARY OF COMMON TERMS

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ABO typing: The grouping of human blood into four groups or types: A, B, AB, and O.

Accelerated rejection: When the body's attacks a transplanted organ or tissue. While acute rejection may happen at any time after transplant, it is most common in the first 3 months post transplant.
 
Acute rejection: When a body rejects a transplanted organ. This can occur anytime post-transplant, most commonly between 5-90 days after transplantation.

Acute tubular necrosis (ATN): A disorder that damages certain kidney cells and leads to kidney failure.
 
Alagille syndrome: An inherited disorder most commonly seen in children. The syndrome causes loss of the bile ducts within the liver and narrowing of the bile ducts outside the liver during the first years of life.

Albumin: A protein found in the blood. It is responsible for keeping water balance within the body.

Allograft: A graft of tissue taken from one individual and grafted to another of the same species. A transplanted organ is sometimes referred to as an allograft.
 
Alpha₁-antitrypsin deficiency: The most common pediatric inherited disease. Alpha₁-antitrypsin is a substance made in the liver that stops the breakdown of important chemicals in many of the body's organs.

Amino acids: Any one of a group of complex substances in living organisms that are linked together to form the proteins that make up living matter.

Anemia: A decrease in the number of red blood cells. Patients with anemia will have a decrease in their hemoglobin level.

Antibody: A protein made by the body's immune system to fight foreign substances, such as germs or a new organ.

Antigen: A protein marker on the surface of cells that identifies cells as "self" or "non-self." Any protein substance that causes the body to produce antibodies to counteract it.

Anti-rejection drugs: Medicines that help slow down your body's immune system. This helps protect your new organ from being rejected. These drugs are also called "immunosuppressants."

Ascites: An abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen.
 
Autoimmune hepatitis: Caused by an unnatural activity of the body's immune system in which the immune system attacks the liver.

Azathioprine: An immunosuppressive drug prescribed to prevent the rejection of a transplanted organ. Also known as Imuran^®.

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Bile: A fluid made by your liver, stored in your gallbladder, and released when needed into your small intestine to help you digest the fats in your diet.
 
Biliary atresia: When the bile ducts in the liver develop slowly, which results in blockage of the ducts. The bile "backs up" into the liver and causes jaundice and cirrhosis. Biliary atresia is often seen in babies 2 to 6 weeks after birth.

Bilirubin: The orange or yellow color found in bile. It is measured to examine liver function.

Biopsy: The removal of a small piece of tissue from your body for examination under a microscope.
 
Budd-Chiari syndrome: Refers to blockage of the hepatic vein, which stops blood flow out of the liver and produces a large buildup of fluid in the abdomen.

BUN: A blood test that evaluates kidney function. It stands for "blood urea nitrogen."

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Cadaveric donor: A person who has recently died from whom organs and/or tissues have been removed for transplantation.
 
Cancer of the liver: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer that leads to end-stage liver disease. People who have hepatitis B and hepatitis C are at increased risk.

Carrier: One who can transmit a disease to others.

Catheter: A flexible tube that is used to remove body fluids or inject medicines into the body.

Chronic: A condition or disease that lasts or lingers for a long time.

Chronic rejection: When the body rejects a transplanted organ 3 months or later after transplantation. Chronic rejection is an ongoing concern for transplant recipients.

Cirrhosis: A chronic disease in which normal liver tissue eventually hardens and dies.

CMV (cytomegalovirus): A very common viral infection in transplant patients that can affect the lungs and other organs. A member of the family of herpes viruses.

Colonoscopy: A visual examination of the colon with a flexible fiber-optic endoscope — a small, cord-like camera that can be easily inserted into the colon.

Corticosteroids: Medicines that slow down your body's immune system and protect your new organ from being rejected. They are also called "steroids." A common corticosteroid is prednisone.

Creatinine: A substance found in the blood. Your doctors can measure your level of creatinine to determine how well your kidneys are working.

Crossmatch: A blood test that tells if a donor's organ is a good match for your body. A negative crossmatch means that there is no reaction between the patient and the donor, and a transplant can be performed.

CT scan (computed tomography scan): Like an X-ray, a CT scan produces a detailed picture of a specific section of the body. It is a painless procedure.

Cyclosporine: A medicine that slows down your body's immune system to help protect your new organ from being rejected. Also known as Sandimmune^® or Neoral^®.

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Delayed graft function: When a transplanted kidney does not function immediately after transplant and is "sluggish." The patient may require dialysis until the kidney starts to make urine and the creatinine level decreases.

Diabetes: A disease in which patients have high levels of sugar in their blood.

Dialysis: A method of removing waste products from the blood of patients whose kidneys are not working well enough to do this on their own.

Donor: A person who gives an organ to be transplanted into someone else.

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Edema: The buildup of too much fluid in body tissues. Swollen ankles are a common sign of edema.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV): The herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis (commonly called "mono"), Burkitt's lymphoma, and other disorders, especially in transplant patients. In transplant patients this is known as posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disease (PTLD).

ESRD: End-stage renal disease (also called chronic kidney failure). The kidneys no longer work, and the patient needs dialysis or a transplant.

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Flank incision: Conventional type of surgical cut for a kidney transplant donor. The cut is made in the side (flank) area and generally runs from lower rib cage in the back to the front.

Fulminant hepatitis: A rare and frequently deadly form of viral hepatitis in which the patient quickly gets worse.
 
Fulminant liver failure: Liver function that suddenly stops. It is caused by drug toxicity, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C.

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Gingival hyperplasia: Overgrowth of the gums, which is a common side effect of some anti-rejection medicines.

Glucose: A sugar that provides energy.

Graft: A transplanted organ or tissue.

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Hemochromatosis: Causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Many patients can be treated without transplantation. However, it can lead to cirrhosis.
 
Hemodialysis: A technique of removing waste materials or poisons from the blood in which a stream of blood from an artery is pumped through a machine that filters the blood. The cleaned blood is then returned to the patient's body through a vein.

Hepatic artery: The vessel that carries blood from the heart to the liver.

Hepatic vein: The vessel that carries blood from the liver to the heart.

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver caused by infection or poisons.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: A cancer of the liver.

Herpes: A family of viruses that infect people. Herpes simplex causes lip and genital sores; herpes zoster causes shingles.

Hirsutism: Unwanted hair on the face or body. A common side effect of some anti-rejection medicines.

HLA system: Human leukocyte antigen system. This system is used to help determine if an organ from one person will be accepted by another person.

Hyperacute rejection: When the body rejects a transplanted organ within minutes or hours after transplantation. This is the fastest form of rejection.

Hypercholesterolemia: The condition of having high cholesterol levels.

Hyperglycemia: Blood glucose levels that are too high.
 
Hyperlipidemia: High cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Hypertension: High blood pressure.

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Iliac arteries: The vessels that supply most of the blood to the lower limbs and pelvic area. The artery and vein of the transplanted kidney are connected to the iliac artery and vein.

Immune system: The complex system of organs and processes that protect the body from organisms or substances that may cause disease.

Immunity: The ability of the body to resist a particular infectious disease.

Immunosuppression: A slowing down of the body's immune system by medicines that help prevent rejection of the transplanted organ.

Inflammation: Redness, heat, swelling, and pain caused by irritation or infection.

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Jaundice: A condition in which the skin and the whites of the eyes appear yellow because there is too much bilirubin in the blood. This is a sign of liver problems.

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Laparoscopic nephrectomy: The removal of a kidney through small incisions using a tube-like device that has a tiny camera on it.

Living related donor: A living person who donates an organ to a blood relative who needs a transplant.

Living unrelated donor: A living person donating an organ who is not a blood relative (such as a friend, spouse, or stranger).

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Malignancy: A life-threatening tumor.

Mycophenolate mofetil: An agent that slows down the immune system and is given with other drugs to prevent transplant organ rejection. Also known as CellCept^®.

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Nephrotoxicity: Damage to the kidneys produced by drugs or other substances.

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Peritoneal dialysis: A form of dialysis in which the blood is cleaned inside the patient's body, using the peritoneum (a natural membrane that lines the wall of the abdomen) as a filter.

Portal hypertension: Increased pressure in the portal vein caused by obstruction of the blood flow through the liver.

Portal vein: A large vein that collects blood from the digestive organs, spleen, pancreas, and gallbladder to the liver.

Primary biliary cirrhosis: A long-term, progressive disease that destroys the bile ducts inside the liver.
 
Primary sclerosing cholangitis: A disease in which the bile ducts decrease in size and are eventually blocked.

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Recipient: A person who receives a tissue or organ transplant from a donor.
 
Rejection: When the body's immune system attacks and tries to destroy a transplanted organ or tissue because it recognizes it as a foreign object.

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Sirolimus: A medicine that slows down the immune system to help protect a new organ from being rejected. Also known as rapamycin or Rapamune^®.

Steroids: See corticosteroids.

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T cells: White blood cells (also called T lymphocytes) that play a major part in the immune system and also in transplant organ rejection.

Tacrolimus: A medicine that slows down the body's immune system and helps protect your new organ from being rejected. Also known as Prograf^®.

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Ultrasound: A technique using sound that cannot be heard by the human ear to create pictures that outline the shape of various organs and tissues inside the body.

Ureter: A duct that transports urine to the bladder from the kidneys.

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Virus: A very small germ that causes infection.

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White blood cells: Cells in the blood that fight infection and play a role in rejection. Also called T cells or T lymphocytes.
 
Wilson's disease: An inherited disorder in which extra amounts of copper build up in the liver, brain, kidneys, and corneas.

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Xenotransplant: Transplantation of tissue or an organ from a member of one species to a member of a different species.


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