Mt1

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Absolute CD4 Count

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Number of CD4 cells/mm3 of blood

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AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

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The most severe manifestation of infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The WHO and CDC have different definitions of AIDS for surveillance purposes. In general, patients have CD4<200 or history of opportunistic infection

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Acute HIV Infection (aka Antiretroviral Syndrome, Primary HIV Infection)

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Period of rapid HIV replication that occurs 2-4 weeks after infection with HIV

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AIDS Defining Condition

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Any illness, when occurring in an HIV-infected patient, that leads to an AIDS diagnosis (Examples: PCP pneumonia, MAC)

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AIDS-Related Cancer

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Cancers that are more common or more aggressive among patients with HIV infection

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Antiretroviral Agent

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Any drug that interferes with the viral replication of HIV

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Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)

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Combination of antiretroviral agents used to reduce viral replication (Antiretroviral therapy is the preferred term over Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy)

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Blip (aka Viral Blip)

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A temporary increase in viral load (usually 50-500 copies/ml) in someone who previously had undetectable virus and who later returns to having undetectable virus

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Booster, Boosting, Boosted

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When referring to ART: A medicine (usually Ritonavir) given to enhance another medicine When referring to vaccines: Additional dose(s) of vaccine after the initial to enhance the immune response to the vaccine

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Cachexia

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Loss of weight, muscle wasting, fatigue, weakness and decrease of appetite in someone not actively trying to lose weight

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CD4 Cell (aka T-helper cell, CD4 lymphocyte)

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White blood cell that carries the CD4 receptor on the cell surface; plays role in cell mediated immunity

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CD4 Percentage

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Percentage of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that are CD4 cells

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CD8 Cell

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Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte, killer or suppressor T-cells

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CD8 Percentage

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Percentage of lymphocytes (white blood cells) that are CD8 cells

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Clade

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Group of HIV strains within an HIV subtype, HIV-1 Clade M contains clades H-J and K

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Class-Sparing Regimen

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An ART regimen that purposefully does not contain one or more classes of antiretroviral agents

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Clinical Progression

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Progression of disease as measured by deterioration of clinical outcomes

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Co-infection

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Infection of more than one virus, bacterium or other micro-organism at a time.

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Cross Resistance

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Micro-organism changes that result in loss or reduction of susceptibility to multiple medications simultaneously

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Drug Resistance

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The ability of microorganisms to adapt so they can multiply in the presence of drugs that would normally kill or inhibit their growth and/or replication

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Elite Controller

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Patients with HIV infection who have undetectable viral load without antiretroviral therapy

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Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)

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A highly sensitive laboratory test used to determine the presence of antibodies to HIV in the blood or saliva. A positive test result indicates the presence of HIV infection.

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First Line Regimen

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Recommended drugs or treatment plan when treating a patient for the first time

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Fixed-dose Combination

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Dosage formulation that allows patients to take more than one drug in a single formulation (i.e. single tablet containing 2 or more drugs)

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Genotypic Assay (aka Gentoype, GT)

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Test used to detect the presence of mutations in a patient’s virus population by identifying codon changes that differ from the standard or “wild type” genetic sequence of HIV. Certain mutations may be associated with increased risk of reduced viral susceptibility to one or more antiretroviral agents.

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Horizontal Transmission

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Transmission of disease from one individual to another, except from parent to offspring

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

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The retrovirus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

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HIV-1

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Retrovirus responsible for most HIV infections throughout the world

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HIV-2

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Retrovirus responsible for HIV infections; found primarily in West Africa

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Immunocompetent

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Able to mount an adequate immune response

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Immunosuppressed

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Unable to mount an adequate immune response due to impaired immune system

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Immunodeficiency

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Inability to produce normal amounts of antibodies, immune cells, or both

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Immunologic Failure

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HIV-infected individual’s CD4 count decreases below the baseline count or does not increase above baseline after 1 year of antiretroviral therapy

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Intrapartum

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Time span between labor and delivery

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Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS)

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Cancer caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, causing pink/purple bumps on skin; can also occur internally (intestines, lymph nodes, and lungs)

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Latency

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Time period in which an infectious organism is present in the body, but is not producing noticeable symptoms

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Latent HIV Reservoir

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Collection of resting cells (i.e. CD4 cells) in the body infected with HIV, that, once activated, can result in viral replication

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Lipoatrophy

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Loss of body fat from particular areas of the body

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Lipodystrophy

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Problem with the way the body produces, uses, and/or distributes fat

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Lipohypertrophy

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Accumulation of fat

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Long-term Nonprogressor

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Individuals infected with HIV, but who have stable CD4 counts (>600 cells/mm3) and no HIV-related diseases

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Maintenance Therapy (aka Secondary Prophylaxis)

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Medication given to prevent a treated infection from returning after having been controlled

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Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT)

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Passage of HIV from an infected mother to her infant, including in utero, during labor and delivery, and/or through breastfeeding

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Nadir

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The lowest point of a particular parameter (For example: The nadir CD4 count is the lowest CD4 count a patient has had)

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Occupational Exposure

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Exposure to potentially infectious material while at work

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Opportunistic Infection

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An illness caused by any one of various organisms that occur in immunosuppressed patients

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Perinatal

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The time span shortly before and after birth

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Phenotypic Assay (aka Phenotype, PT)

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Tests that provide information about the relative amount of antiretroviral agent required to suppress replication of the patient virus compared to the amount needed to suppress replication of a laboratory strain (“wild type”) virus.

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Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

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A laboratory technique that amplifies short DNA sequences within a long double stranded DNA molecule.

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Post-Exposure Prophylaxis(PEP)

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Preventative administration of antiretroviral agents following a high risk exposure

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Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

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Administration of antiretroviral agents as a preventative measure to potentially decrease the risk of transmission of virus

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Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT)

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Prevention of HIV passage from mother to infant

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Primary Resistance

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HIV infection acquired with resistance to one or more antiretroviral agents

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Retrovirus

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Enveloped virus containing an RNA genome and replicate via a DNA intermediate

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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

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Laboratory test that quantifies the amount of HIV virus (HIV viral load) in blood by replicating HIV’s genetic material to measurable levels.

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Salvage Therapy

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Antiretroviral treatment regimen for patients who have used multiple regimens in the past, have failed at least 2 previous regimens and have extensive drug resistance

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Seroconversion

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Process by which a newly infected person develops antibodies to HIV (conversion of HIV(-) to HIV (+) by testing)

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Seroprevalence

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Number or proportion of individuals with positive serologic test for a given infection

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Serostatus

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The presence or absence of antibodies against an infective agent in the blood

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Set Point

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The viral load established within a few weeks to months after infection, after the initial burst of replication has occurred

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Superinfection

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A new infection acquired in addition to an existing infection

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Treatment Experienced

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HIV-infected individuals who have taken and/or are currently taking medications (such as antiretrovirals)

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HIV Treatment Failure

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Inability of therapy to adequately control viral replication

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Treatment Naïve

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Patients never exposed to therapy

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Undetectable Viral Load (aka: Viral suppression, virologic suppression, virologically suppressed)

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HIV RNA in blood is not detectable by a given assay
Viral replication is below the limit of detection (ability of assay to detect)

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Vertical Transmission

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Transmission of disease from parent to offspring

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Viral Load (VL)

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HIV RNA in blood sample, reported as copies/mL; can be measured using different techniques (branched chain DNA bDNA) or RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase PCR)

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Viral Rebound

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Reappearance of detectable viral load following successful suppression

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Virologic Failure

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Inability of antiretroviral therapy to reduce or maintain viral suppression

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Western Blot

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Detects HIV specific proteins to confirm a positive ELISA test

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Wild Type Virus

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Viral strains that have not acquired any genetic mutations that might create special characteristics, including drug resistance

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Window Period

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Time between infection with HIV and the presence of detectable antibodies (positive HIV test); can range from 14 days to 6 months