guidebook. - Fanconi Anemia Research Fund

Glossary
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is then tested to determine whether infection is present
and which antibiotic to use. 2
Cytokines: See Colony stimulating factors. 2
Cytomegalovirus (CMV): A condition caused by a
member of the herpesvirus family which can cause disease
in different parts of the body in people with weakened
immune systems, such as during a bone marrow
transplant. 5
Cytopenia: A deficiency of cellular elements of the
blood, especially deficiency of one or more specific elements
(as granulocytes in granulocytopenia). 1
Dermatofibroma: A benign, chiefly fibroblastic, nodule
of the skin, found especially on the extremities of
adults. 1
Desquamation: Shedding of the outer layers of the
skin; peeling off in the form of scales. 1
Diepoxybutane (DEB): A chemical agent that damages
DNA in cell culture and is used in a diagnostic test for
FA, either before or after birth. 2
Differential: Percent of different types of white blood
cells in the blood. 2
DNA: This abbreviation stands for deoxyribonucleic
acid. DNA is the component of the chromosomes that
carries the genetic code. 2
DNA repair: A collection of processes by which a cell
identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules
that encode its genome. The DNA repair ability of a
cell is vital to the integrity of its genome and thus to its
normal functioning and that of the organism. 11 This is
abnormal in patients with FA.