9 HIV Flashcards
HIV infection results in …
AIDS
Onset of HIV infection may be…
Asymptomatic
Or
Associated with a self-limited mono-like condition
When are HIV patients at highest risk of transmitting the infection?
Early-stage disease periods when patients have high virus loads but are unaware they have an infection
All HIV patients are considered to be lifelong…
Carriers, and continuously infectious
AIDS is diagnosed when CD4 T cell counts fall below ________ and severe damage to the immune system becomes evident
200 µL
_________ emerge as immune system fails
AIDs defining conditions - opportunistic infections, cancers, and conditions linked to AIDS
Examples of AIDS-defining conditions
Karposi’s sarcoma
MAC
Pneumocystis pneumonia
CMV
Development of AIDS usually lags behind HIV infection by about…
A decade
What are the different classes of disease course for HIV?
Fast - 3 years or less to AIDS
Intermediate - AIDS emergence after about 10 years
Long-term non-progressors - >10 years to AIDS, less than 5% of cases
Elite controllers
What type of virus is HIV?
Human retrovirus (lentivirus)
RNA genome
Enveloped virion
Reverse transcriptase (RNA dependent DNA polymerase) enzyme encoded by the virus
What are the origins of HIV?
An animal zoonosis that has entered human populations several times
Retrospective studies have found virus samples of serum dating to the 1950’s and an origin in chimpanzees and other non-human primates is postulated
Human population entry through primate bushmeat?
How does HIV infection occur?
Infection of cells with CD4 and a chemo kind co-receptor molecule displayed at surface
Th, monocytes, macrophages
How does HIV continue it’s infection?
Reverse transcriptase of viral genome —> integration into host chromosome (using viral integrase)
To complete life cycle, a DNA copy is made of the viral RNA genome and inserted into the host cell chromosome, and viral replication occurs using this copy
Latency is established (may be short)
Activation of latent virus follows and progeny production begins
Ultimately with HIV, _____ cell loss occurs in the patient and results in _____________.
Helper T cell
Profound immunosuppression
What complicates treatment for HIV?
The fast mutation rate - virus creates swarms of quasi-related subtypes in a single patient
Necessitates the use of combo chemotherapies to suppress infections
What are the primary mechanisms for transmission of HIV?
Sexual contact
Parenteral (IVDU, needle sticks) - NOT INSECT BITES
Perinatal (either in utero or postpartum)
Organ transplants
Occupational (low)
What enhances HIV infection probability during sexual contact?
Lesions of HSV or syphilis
________ is highly unlikely to result in HIV infection
Casual contact