Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

alopecia capitis totalis
Loss of all scalp hair,
with normal hair elsewhere on the body remaining.
alopecia universalis
Loss of all hair on the
entire body.
alpha cell, pancreatic
A type of cell found in
areas within the pancreas called the islets of
Langerhans. Alpha cells make and release glucagon,
which raises the level of glucose (sugar) in the
blood.
alpha error
The statistical error made in testing a
hypothesis when it is concluded that a result is posi-
tive, but it really is not. Also known as false positive.
alpha interferon
One of the three main classes
of interferons, which are specialized proteins (lym-
phokines) produced by the body in response to
microbial infection that interfere with the multipli-
cation of viruses in cells. The other two main classes
are called beta interferon and gamma interferon.
See also
interferon; interferon therapy.
Alpha Omega Alpha
An honor society, the med-
ical school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa of under-
graduate school.
alpha thalassemia
See 
thalassemia, alpha.
alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
An inherited
disorder characterized by a lack of the alpha-1
antitrypsin protease inhibitor. Alpha-1 antitrypsin
deficiency leads to damage of various organs, espe-
cially the lung and liver. Symptoms may become
apparent at a very early age or anytime later, mani-
festing as shortness of breath due to emphysema or
as liver symptoms such as jaundice, fatigue, fluid in
the abdomen, mental changes, or gastrointestinal
bleeding. Treatment options include, for lung dis-
ease, replacement of the missing alpha-1 antit-
rypsin. Avoidance of smoking and of other lung
irritants is an important part of management.
Treatment of the liver disease is liver transplant.
Also known as protease inhibitor 1 deficiency.