Miscellaneous Flashcards
What does HIV stand for?
Human immunodeficiency virus
What is responsible for most human infections of HIV?
HIV1
Give 2 groups with the most prevalence for HIV in the UK
- ) Men who have sex with men
- ) IVDUs
What does IVDU stand for?
Intravenous drug user
Give the 7 steps of HIV pathogenesis
1) HIV binds to CD4 receptors
2) CD4 positive cells migrate where virus replicates and releases new virions
3) Infection progresses and decreases immunity
4) DNA copy of virus RNA genome made
5) Integrated into host DNA
6) Core viral proteins
7) Completed virus is released
What is the viral load of HIV?
Number of circulating viruses
What does the viral load of HIV predict?
Progression to AIDs
What does HIV bind via? (Step 1)
GP120 envelope protein
Where are the CD4 receptors that are bound to HIV? (Step 1)
Helper T cells, monocytes, macrophages, neural cells
Where do CD4 positive cells migrate to? (Step 2)
Lymphoid tissue
What do new virions do? (Step 2)
Infect new cells
Why does immunity decrease as infection progresses in HIV? (Step 3)
Depletion and impaired function of CD4 cells
What makes a DNA copy of the virus RNA genome? (Step 4)
Viral reverse transcriptase enzyme
What integrates the DNA copy of the virus RNA genome into host DNA? (Step 5)
Integrase
What are the core viral proteins initially synthesised as?
Large polypeptides that are cleaved by protease
What are the 3 stages of HIV?
- ) Seroconversion (primary infection)
- ) Asymptomatic period
- ) AIDs related complex
What may seroconversion by accompanied by?
Transient illness 2-6 weeks after exposure
What are the symptoms of seroconversion?
- ) Fever
- ) Malaise
- ) Myalgia
- ) Pharyngitis
- ) Maculopapular rash
What can occur instead of the asymptomatic period of HIV?
Persistent generalised lymphadenopathy
Give 3 later constitutional symptoms of HIV
- ) Night sweats
- ) Fever
- ) Diarrhoea
- ) Weight loss
- ) Possible opportunistic infections
Give 2 opportunistic infections of HIV
- ) Oral candida
- ) Herpes zoster
- ) Herpes simplex
What is the precursor to AIDS?
AIDS related complex
What is AIDS defined as?
- ) HIV plus an indicator disease
- ) CD4 usually <200x10^6
How long is the progression from HIV to AIDs usually?
8 years
How long is the progression from AIDS related complex to AIDS usually?
2 years
How long is the progression from AIDS to death without treatment?
2 years
Give 3 indications that HIV progression is more severe
- ) Fever
- ) Lymphadenopathy
- ) Cough
- ) Diarrhoea
- ) Oral thrush
- ) Weight loss
- ) TB
- ) Herpes zoster (shingles)
Which 2 HIV subtypes predominate in the UK?
A and B
What do we detect in tests for HIV?
Serum HIB antibody by ELISA
What do we do if the HIV test is negative? (3)
- ) Check again later
- ) Look for HIV RNA by PCR
- ) Look for core p24 antigen in plasma
What does ELISA stand for?
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
Give 3 ways to prevent HIV
- ) Good education
- ) Accessible tests and counselling
- ) Condoms
- ) Fewer sexual partners and only one at a time
- ) Decrease alcohol (risky behaviour)
- ) Circumcision
Give 3 complications/opportunistic infections of HIV
- ) TB
- ) Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia
- ) Candidiasis
- ) Toxoplasmosis
- ) Cryptococcal meningitis
- ) Cytomegalovirus retinitis
- ) Kaposi’s sarcoma
- ) Leishmaniasis
What 4 tests do we do routinely during treatment of HIV?
- ) CD4 T cell count
- ) HIV RNA
- ) Serum U&E, Cl, creatinine, bilirubin, LFT, FBC
- ) Lipid profile and glucose
When should we initiate therapy in HIV?
- ) AIDS defining illness
- ) CD4 <350
- ) Pregnancy
- ) Nephropathy
- ) HBV
What does highly active antiretroviral therapy aim to do?
Suppress plasma HIV RNA levels below limit of detection and restore immune function
Give 3 types of drug we give in HIV
- ) Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- ) Protease inhibitors
- ) Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
- ) Integrase strand transfer inhibitors
Why do we use >3 drug combinations in HIV treatment?
To minimise replication and cross resistance