Sometimes a word or term used to describe hereditary angioedema (HAE) or its treatment
needs to be explained. Use the HAE glossary to find the meanings of terms you don’t
understand:
Abdominal:
pertaining to the part of the body that lies between the chest and the pelvis and
encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, and pancreas
Acute:
sharp, rapid onset, short severe course
Angioedema (angioneurotic edema):
recurring episodes of noninflammatory swelling
Autosomal:
having to do with a
chromosome other than a sex chromosome, normally occurring in pairs in
somatic
cells and singly in
gametes
Autosomal dominant gene:
a gene from one parent that produces its effect even if the gene from the other
parent does not match (e.g., HAE occurs when only one gene is abnormal for C1-INH)
Autosomal recessive gene:
a gene that does not produce its effect unless there is an identical gene from the
other parent (i.e., it takes two matching genes to cause the effect)
Chromosome:
threadlike linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of animal
and plant cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary
information
Complement 1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH):
a protein that helps to regulate the immune system
Edema:
an accumulation of an excessive amount of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous
cavities
Gamete:
a sperm or an egg
Hereditary:
transmitted or capable of being transmitted genetically from parent to offspring
Hereditary angioedema (HAE):
manifested by recurring episodes of
edema of the skin or mucous membranes of the organs, and is caused by
the poor functioning or lack of a protein called C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH)
Kallikrein:
an enzyme found in the blood that impacts blood clotting
Laryngeal:
affecting or near the larynx (voice box)
Pitting (pitting edema):
formation of well-defined, relatively deep depressions in a surface
Plasma:
clear, yellowish fluid portion of blood
Prodromal:
symptoms indicating the onset of an attack
Prophylaxis, prophylactic:
treatment designed to prevent or minimize symptoms or attacks
Somatic:
characteristic of the body
Tracheotomy:
an incision through the neck into the windpipe that is made when the upper airway
is blocked