HIV and AIDS

Question 1

What is HIV?

Answer 1

HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a retrovirus causing both HIV infection and AIDS.

Question 2

How does HIV infect its host?

Answer 2

HIV binds to CD4 receptors, fuses, enters the cell, undergoes reverse transcription, integrates into the host genome, transcribes and translates viral proteins, assembles, and releases virions.

Question 3

What is the difference between HIV-1 and HIV-2?

Answer 3

HIV-1 is responsible for the majority of global infections, while HIV-2 has lower infectivity, limited mainly to West Africa.

Question 4

What fluids can transmit HIV?

Answer 4

HIV is found in semen, vaginal fluids, blood, anus lining, breast milk, and can enter through cuts, sores, or mucous membranes.

Question 5

What are the stages of HIV infection?

Answer 5

1. Acute phase: Flu-like symptoms.
2. Seroconversion: Influenza-like symptoms, highly infectious.
3. Chronic phase: Asymptomatic or symptoms like weight loss, fever, fatigue.
4. Advanced/AIDS: CD4 count <200 cells/µl.

Question 6

What are the diagnostic tests for HIV?

Answer 6

Tests include antibody tests, antigen tests, RNA PCR tests, and combined fourth-generation tests to detect IgG, IgM, and p24 antigens.

Question 7

What are the treatment goals for HIV?

Answer 7

Improve quality of life, preserve the immune system, suppress viral replication to <50 copies/ml, and increase CD4 cell counts.

Question 8

What is HAART?

Answer 8

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy combines at least 3 drugs to reduce resistance, increase efficacy, and extend life expectancy.

Question 9

What are common AIDS-defining illnesses?

Answer 9

Tuberculosis, Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), Toxoplasmosis encephalitis, Cytomegalovirus disease, Kaposi’s sarcoma, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and others.

Question 10

What markers indicate HIV progression?

Answer 10

Markers include reducing CD4 counts (<200 cells/µl in advanced stages) and increasing viral load (>100,000 copies/ml is high).

Question 11

What are the classes of antiretroviral drugs?

Answer 11

1. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
2. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
3. Protease inhibitors (PIs)
4. Entry inhibitors
5. Fusion inhibitors
6. Integrase inhibitors.

Question 12

What is the ideal antiretroviral agent?

Answer 12

It protects uninfected cells, reduces viral production, crosses the blood-brain barrier, has minimal side effects, and does not confer resistance.