HIV Flashcards
What can AIDS also be referred to as?
Late-stage HIV
What type of virus is HIV?
RNA retrovirus
What is a retrovirus?
- a virus that creates a DNA copy of its own RNA inside the host cell.
- inserts the DNA into host cell nucleus for integration
- changes genome of host cell
How many people die of AIDS per year?
Roughly 3 million
What are the two types of HIV?
HIV-1
HIV-2 (only really found in west Africa)
What’s the risk of vertical transmission of HIV?
15% (goes up to 25% with breastfeeding)
What are the three main types of T-cell?
what cells are primarily affected in HIV?
CD4+ T-cells
What are four major cell types that have CD4 receptors (can be targeted by HIV)?
CD4+ T-cells
macrophages
monocytes
neurones
What test is used in hospitals to screen for HIV?
antibody blood test
what test can be used for HIV that will pick HIV up in earlier stages of infection?
p24 antigen test
If you want to find out the viral load of HIV a patient has what test would you use?
PCR test for HIV RNA
What’s the normal range for CD4+ T helper cells?
500 - 1200 cells/mm^3
What range of CD4+ T helper cells would classify the infection as AIDS?
<200 cells/mm^3
(normal = 500 - 1200)
(nb patient also has AIDS if they have an “AIDS defining illness” such as Kaposi’s sarcoma i.e opportunistic infections)
During which weeks after infection do you see a spike in HIV RNA associated with HIV syndrome (with flu like symptoms)
3-9
During what time frame do you see clinical latency with HIV infection (i.e patient is asymptomatic)
9 weeks up to 15 years (can develop into third stage HIV anywhere between 2-15 years)
What combination of HAART is usually used to combat HIV?
