HIV Flashcards
How is HIV transmitted?
Through body fluids, most commonly through sexual intercourse or intravenous drug use. Vertical transmission (mother->child) can also occur. HIV is present in saliva but transmission is rare.
Factors increasing risk of HIV transmission?
Sores, e.g. those from STIs, can break mucosa and enhance transmission.
Locations where HIV remains latent/causes persistent infection?
Lymph nodes, brain, macrophages.
Opportunistic infections made likely by HIV/AIDS?
Cryptococcus Neoformans, Candida Albicans, pneumonitis jurovecii, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, syphillis.
Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS is usually made through…
…Presentation with an AIDS-defining illness, or serology (identification of HIV IgG or ELISA for HIV antigen).
Management of HIV/AIDS?
Monitoring CD4+ T cell count and viral load. Anti-retroviral therapy can extend latency period of infection, but is not a cure.
Characteristic of Lentivirus?
Slow replication
Characteristics of HIV DNA?
small, 2 identical copies, overlapping ORFs, most is coding DNA. Integrates PERMENANTLY into genome.
Structural DNA regions of HIV?
Gag - Matrix, capsid (p24), nucleocapsid.
Env - gp120, gp41
Enzymatic DNA regions of HIV?
Pro.
Pol - Protease, Reverse Transcriptase, Integrase.
Receptors to which HIV binds?
CD4+, CCR5 (Mutation leads to other receptors also being targeted.)
Components of HIV virion
2 copies of genome, helical nucleocapsid, enzymes (P, RT, I), capsid, lipid envelope.
Targets of ART?
Inhibit entry, inhibit enzymes (P, RT, T)
Difficulties in ART?
Non-compliance, Virus diversity -> resistance, Vaccines cannot be created due to variations in HIV proteins.
HIV target cells?
CD4+ cells; monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells.
