Definition of Serum hepatitis

1. Noun. An acute (sometimes fatal) form of viral hepatitis caused by a DNA virus that tends to persist in the blood serum and is transmitted by sexual contact or by transfusion or by ingestion of contaminated blood or other bodily fluids.

Exact synonyms: Hepatitis B
Generic synonyms: Viral Hepatitis

Medical Definition of Serum hepatitis

1. A form of viral hepatitis, known as serum hepatitis, because it is commonly spread through contact with infected blood products (transfusion). May also be spread sexually or from mother to infant. Hepatitis B can cause a much more severe infection than hepatitis A and can occur as an asymptomatic carrier state, a chronic infection or as cirrhosis of the liver. Those at risk (IV drug abusers, health care workers, dialysis patients, transfusion recipients, homosexuals) should be immunised with hepatitis B vaccine. The virus is 42nm diameter, with an outer sheath enclosing inner 27nm core particle containing the circular viral DNA. Aggregates of the envelope proteins are found in plasma and are referred to as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, previously called Australia antigen). The virus can persist for long periods (and in asymptomatic carriers), association of integrated virus with hepatocellular carcinoma is now well established. (27 Sep 1997)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Serum Hepatitis

serum amyloid P component
serum bactericidal test
serum bicarbonate
serum cholinesterase
serum disease
serum disease
serum erythropoietin
serum factor VIII antigen
serum ferritin
serum globulin
serum globulins
serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase
serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase
serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase
serum hepatitis (current term)
serum hepatitis (current term)
serum hepatitis virus
serum immunofixation
serum immunoglobulin electrophoresis
serum iron level
serum lactis
serum nephritis
serum proteins
serum prothrombin conversion accelerator
serum reaction
serum requirement
serum response element
serum response factor
serum shock
serum sickness

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