As you learn more about transplantation, your vocabulary will begin to expand rather rapidly. We have noted here a number of the terms frequently used in transplantation. Remember this is just a sample. When you don't understand what a word or phrase means - especially when you hear it from your transplant team - ask!

Acute Having severe symptoms and a short course.

Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) Reversible kidney damage resulting in delayed kidney function after transplant. Among other factors, it may be caused by suboptimal organ storage before transplantation or medication used to prevent rejection.

Allogeneic Refers to genetically different members of the same species. See transplantation.

Allograph An organ that is removed from a donor to be used in another person.

Anemia A condition characterized by too few red blood cells in the bloodstream, resulting in insufficient oxygen to tissues and organs.

Antibody A serum protein consisting of soluble molecules that is produced by the body's immune system, they are produced in response to and bind to substances, usually foreign, known as antigens, antibodies to transplantation antigens are one of the mediators of graft rejection.

Antibiotic A drug used to fight bacterial infections.

Antigen A substance, such as a transplanted organ, that can trigger an immune response. This immune response may be the production of antibodies

Apheresis An apheresis donation returns unwanted portion of blood to the donor. Usually relating to a platelet donation.

Arteriogram An x-ray of the arteries taken with the aid of a dye, sometimes referred to as angiography.

Ascites Accumulation of fluid in the stomach.

Aseptic necrosis One or both hip joints may suddenly undergo massive deterioration in patients using a high dosage of steroids for a prolonged time. Dietary calcium and/or supplements are recommended for prevention.

Atherosclerosis The disease in which fatty deposits build up on the inner walls of the arteries, causing narrowing or blockage that can lead to heart attack. Commonly known as "hardening of the arteries."

Autoantibody An antibody that reacts with antigens on a person's own cells and tissues.

Autoimmunity The condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own cells and tissues; this immune reaction is the basis of a variety of autoimmune diseases including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and system lupes erythematosus, among others.

B cell A specialized white blood cell responsible for the body's immunity. B cells play a central role in antibody production.

Bacteria Microscopic organisms that invade human cells, multiply rapidly and produce toxins that interfere with normal cell functions.

Beta blockers A class of drugs that lower blood pressure.

Bile Fluid produced by the liver that is transported to the intestine to help digestion and remove waste products.

Bile ducts Passageways in and from the liver that transport bile.

Bilirubin Substance in bile that is produced when the liver processes waste products. A high bilirubin level causes yellowing of the skin.

Biliary cirrhosis Slow, progressive scarring of the bile ducts in the liver.

Biopsy Removal of tissues for examination under a microscope.

Bladder The part of the urinary tract that receives urine from the kidneys and stores it until urination.

Bone marrow Spongy tissue in the cavities of large bones, where blood cells are produced. Sometimes referred to as a tissue donation.

Brain death The condition in which the brain has permanently ceased functioning as determined by the medical team. Cadaveric organs are recovered from persons declared brain dead in the US.

BUN BUN stands for Blood Urea Nitrogen, a waste product normally excreted by the kidney, Your BUN value represents how well the kidneys function.

Cadaveric organ An organ from a person who has been declared brain dead.

Candidate A person awaiting an organ or tissue transplant.

Cardiac Relating to the heart.

Catheter Small, flexible plastic tube inserted into the body to administer or remove fluids.

CellCept A new drug used to assist the immune system in transplanted patients, is approved for renal allograft rejection in combination with cyclosporine and corticosteroids (prednisone).

Chronic Persisting for a long time.

Cirrhosis Irreversible scarring of the liver. Can be caused by a variety of conditions.

Clinical trail A prospective, scientific evaluation of a treatment regimen, agent (e.g. drug), device, or procedure used for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease.

Coagulation Relating to the process of clotting, usually the body's system of controlling bleeding.

Cocktail Refers to a combination of drugs prescribed to prevent rejection consisting of cyclosporine, imuran, and prednisone. This combination's success allowed transplantation to proceed beyond the experimental stage.

Corticosteroids Hormones secreted by the adrenal gland. Corticosteroids can be manufactured. In high doses, corticosteroids cause immunosuppression. See prednisone.

Creatinine A product of muscle metabolism. Creatinine level is referred to as a number that is watched closely and serves as an indicator of kidney function.

Crossmatch A test for recipient antibodies versus donor antigens. A positive crossmatch means the recipient and donor are incompatible. A negative crossmatch means there is no reaction between donor and patient and that the transplant may proceed.

Cyclosporine A drug commonly used after transplantation to suppress the immune system of the recipient and prevent rejection by the immune system of the transplanted organ or tissue. See cocktail.

Dialysis Mechanical ways of cleaning the blood in kidney failure.

Diastolic The bottom number of a blood pressure reading measuring the heart at rest.

Diuresis Significantly increasing the production of urine.

Donor One who gives of themselves

Edema Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the body.

Encephalopathy Confused, fuzzy, or slowed thinking when the liver is not functioning. properly

End-stage organ disease A disease that leads, ultimately, to functional failure of an organ. Some examples are; emphysema (lungs), cardiomyopathy (heart), and polycystic kidney disease (kidneys).

ESRD End Stage Renal Disease - failure of the kidneys requiring the patient to receive dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival.

Exacerbation An increase in activity of a disease, a relapse.

Febrile Running a fever.

FK-506 Pre-approval designation for immunosuppressant drug Prograf.

Fulminant Happening very quickly and severely.

Gene A unit of genetic material (DNA). A gene may be defined in different ways as follows:

Gene pattern of inheritance A segment of DNA that is transmitted, intact, from parent to offspring

Gene structure A segment of DNA encoding a protein molecule

Gene function A segment of DNA that contains the information for a specific function

Gene therapy Treatment of genetic diseases by providing the correct or normal form of the abnormal gene causing a disease.

Genetic disease A disease due to an abnormal condition of one or more genes. While most diseases have some genetic component, the genetic disease is usually applied to those cases where one or two genes determine the disease, such as sickle cell anemia, Tay Sachs disease, and cystic fibrosis.

Gastrointestinal Relating to the stomach and intestines.

Gastrenterologist A physician trained in treating gastrointestinal disease

Gingival hypertrophy Enlargement of the gums as a side effect of certain medications, especially cyclosporine. Managed with good oral hygiene.

Glucose A type of sugar in the blood.

Graft A transplanted tissue or organ.

Graft failure Absence of adequate function in a transplanted organ or tissue.

Graft survival rates The percentage of patients who have functioning grafts; graft survival rates are usually given for chronological landmarks (e.g., 1 year, 5 years).

Graft-versus-host disease A life-threatening reaction in which transplanted immunocompetent cells attack the tissues of the recipient. This is most commonly seen in bone marrow transplantation but is also known to occur in transplantation of organs, such as the liver and the lung, that contain significant numbers of immunocompetent cells.

Helper T cell The specialized white blood cell that tells other parts of the immune system to combat infection or foreign material. A transplanted organ is foreign material.

Hemorrhage Excessive bleeding.

Hepatic Relating to the liver.

Hepatitis Inflammation of the liver.

Hirsutism Excessive increase in the hair growth.

Histocompatibility testing Determining how closely the HLA (or transplantation) antigens of the donor and recipient are matched and the likelihood that the recipient will reject the donor tissue.

HLA Human Leukocyte Antigen. There are over 10,000 HLA types, with three major genetically controlled groups,: HLA-A, HLA-b and HLA-DR. In organ transplantation HLA-A types are important.

Hypertension High blood pressure.

Immune Response The body's defense against things that are not normally part of the body, such as bacteria, viruses or transplanted organs or tissue.

Immunocompetent Capable of developing an immune response

Immunodeficiency The lack of an adequate or normal immune response.

Immunologic disease A disease due to a dysfunction of the immune system. These are the autoimmune, allergic, and immunodeficiency diseases.

Immune system The body's natural defense mechanism against invasion by foreign bodies. In transplantation, the transplanted organ is considered a foreign body and the recipient's immune system will naturally want to defend against it through rejection of the organ.

Immunosuppression The artificial suppression of the immune response, usually through drugs, so that the body will not reject a transplanted organ or tissue. The drugs commonly used to suppress the immune system after transplantation include prednisone, azathioprine (Imuran), CellCept, cyclosporine, Prograf (FK506), OKT3, and ALG.

Imuran A drug commonly used after transplantation to suppress the immune system of the recipient and prevent rejection by the immune system of the transplanted organ or tissue. An "AZT family" drug. See cocktail.

Intravenous (IV) Into a vein.

Jaundice Yellowing of the skin and eyes. A sign that the liver or bile duct system is not working properly.

leukocyte A white cell of the blood

LifeNet Tissue procurement organization for Washington DC and Virginia.

Living-related donor (LRD) A "blood" relative who donates an organ, usually kidney, also partial livers, lungs, and pancreas lobes from LRDs are used for infants and small children when that is the appropriate transplant.

Match The compatibility between recipient and donor. The more closely the donor and recipient "match" the greater the potential for a successful transplant.

meds Term used by recipients for their prescribed medications. Taking them at the appropriate time(s) is most important.

NCAC Nation's Capital Area Chapter, Initials often used to denote the local TRIO chapter.

Noncompliance Failure to follow the instructions of your health care providers such as not taking prescribed medications or not showing up for prescribed clinic visits.

Neoral Emulsified cyclosporine immunosuppressant drug manufactured by Sandoz.

NSF formerly initials for the National Sanitation Foundation. Now the organization is known as NSF International or NSF in their logo. Provides drinking water standards, and standards for associated equipment, including water purification filters.

Organ Preservation Organ preservation is used so that organs or tissues can be kept outside the body before being transplanted. The length of time varies per type of organ, the preservation fluid, and temperature.

Organism An individual, living thing

Orthotopic A graft that is transplanted into its normal anatomical position (e.g. livers, hearts, lungs, and intestines).

OPO Organ Procurement Organization.

OPTN Organ Procurement and Transplant Network.

OTC Over The Counter, non-prescription drugs or other medications.

Pancreatic Relating to the pancreas

Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) The percentage of cells from a panel of donors with which a potential recipient's blood serum reacts. The more antibodies in the recipient's blood, the higher the PRA. The higher the PRA, the less chance of getting a good crossmatch. Patients with a high PRA have priority on the waiting list.

Patient A person under a physician's care as a living donor, transplant candidate or recipient.

Platelets The smallest elements in the blood, needed to control bleeding.

Prednisone A steroid drug commonly used after transplantation to suppress the immune system of the recipient and prevent rejection of the transplanted organ or tissue. See cocktail.

Peritonitis Inflammation of the abdominal cavity due to intestinal perforation.

Prognosis The predicted or likely outcome.

Prograf A drug (Tacrolimus, FK-506) used after transplantation to suppress the immune system of the recipient and prevent rejection of the transplanted organ or tissue. Initially used for liver transplants, recently an option for all organ transplants.

Protein A type of organic compound that is one of the major components of cells and tissues.

Protocol The plan of treatment.

Pulmonary Relating to the lungs.

Recipient A person who has received an eye, organ or tissue transplant.

Rejection An event in which the immune system tries to fight off a transplanted organ or tissue by making antibodies. Immunosuppresive drugs help prevent rejection.

Remission Return to good health.

Renal Relating to the kidneys.

RS-61443 Preapproval number assigned to CellCept. See CellCept.

Sandimmune Cyclosporine immunosuppressant drug manufactured by Sandoz.

Sensitization When there are antibodies in the blood of the potential recipient, usually because of pregnancy, blood transfusions or previous rejection of the organ transplant. Sensitization is measured by PRA. Highly sensitized patients are more likely to reject an organ transplant than unsensitized patients. See PRA

Steroids A group of medications including Prednisone.

Systolic The top number of a blood pressure reading measuring when the heart is contracting.

T cell A white blood cell responsible for the body's immunity. T cells can destroy cells infected by viruses, graft cells, and other altered cells (e.g. cancer cells).

Tacrolimus A drug (Prograf, FK-506) used after transplantation to suppress the immune system of the recipient and prevent rejection of the transplanted organ or tissue.

Thoracic Relating to the chest.

Tissue A term applied to actual tissue (skin), blood products, and bone marrow.

Tissue typing The examination of human lymphocyte antigens (HLA) in a patient; a blood test identifying genetic markers. Tissue typing is done for all kidney donors and recipients to determine a proper match.

Tolerance A state of immunologic non-responsiveness to one or more antigens.

Tolerance, donor-specific Tolerance of the donor's antigens by a transplant recipient.

Transplant patient A person waiting to receive an organ or tissue transplant or a person who has already received a transplant.

Transplantation Transfer of cells, tissues, or organs from one area of the body to another or from one organism to another.

Transplantation, allogenic (allograft) Transplantation between genetically different members of the same species. Nearly all organ and bone marrow transplants are allografts.

Transplantation, autologous Transplantation of an organism's own cells or tissues, autogous transplantation may be used to repair or replace damaged tissue; autologous bone marrow transplantation permits the usage of more severe and toxic cancer therapies by replacing bone marrow damaged by the treatment with marrow that was removed and stored prior to treatment.

Transplantation, syngenic Transplantation between genetically identical members of the same species (e.g., identical twins).

TRIO Transplant Recipient's International Organization - membership includes candidates, recipients, their families, donor families, medical professionals and other interested parties.

UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing, the designated OPTN operator.

Varices Enlarged veins that develop in the esophagus and stomach.

Vascular Relating to blood vessels.

Viatical Viatical settlement allows one to sell their Life Insurance policy to obtain funds for medical care.

WRTC Washington Regional Transplant Consortium OPO.

Xenographs Organs transplanted from animals, ongoing research is a result of the tremendous shortage of donor organs.