Glossary of HIV and AIDS terms
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
The most severe result of HIV infection, occurring when the immune system is effectively disabled.
People with Aids often have infections of the lungs, brain, eyes and other organs. They may often
also experience severe weight loss, diarrhea and certain types of cancer.
Antibodies
Proteins produced by the immune system to neutralize infections or malignant cells.
Antigen
Any foreign substance, such as a virus, bacterium or protein, that triggers an immune response by
stimulating the production of antibodies.
Antiretroviral drugs
Substances used to kill or inhibit the multiplication of retroviruses such as HIV.
CD4+ cell
An immune system cell which plays a key role in orchestrating the way the immune system attacks
foreign invaders. HIV infection leads to the destruction of these cells, leaving the immune system
less able to fight infection. A normal CD4+ count in a healthy, HIV negative adult is usually between
600 and 1200 per cubic millimeter of blood. In an AIDS patient it is usually below 200.
Combination therapy
Two or more antiretroviral drugs or treatments used together to achieve optimum results against HIV
infection and/or AIDS. Combining drugs has proved to be more effective at reducing the amount of
the HIV in the body than the use of single drugs by themselves. An example of combination therapy
would be the use of two nucleoside analogue drugs plus either a protease inhibitor or a
non-nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor.
Fusion inhibitors
A class of drugs which prevent HIV from penetrating the host cell. There is currently just one fusion
inhibitor available, Fuzeon.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules are known as the building blocks of life. They carry the
genetic information necessary to create cells and to ensure that they function in the right way.
Enzymes
Proteins that stimulate particular chemical reactions.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
A combination of three or four different drug treatments which has been found to be an effective way
to block the progress of HIV, and to reduce the amount of virus to the level where it becomes
undetectable in a patient's blood.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
The virus which is thought to cause most cases of AIDS. Infection occurs when the virus inserts its
own genetic material into a host cell, preventing it from carrying out its natural functions and turning it
into an HIV factory.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2)
A virus closely related to HIV-1 that has also been found to cause AIDS. It was first isolated in West
Africa.
Immune system
The body's defense mechanism, which seeks out and destroys foreign invaders.
Integrase inhibitors
Drugs currently under development which interfere with HIV's integrase enzyme. Integrase plays a
key role in the process where the HIV virus inserts its own genetic material into the host cell in order
to use the cell to make new virus particles.
Kaposi's sarcoma
A type of cancer closely associated with AIDS. It usually appears as pink or purple painless spots on
the skin or inside the mouth. It can also attack the eyes and occur internally.
Long-term non-progressor
An individual who has been living with HIV for at least 7 to 12 years and has a stable CD4+ cell count
despite not having had antiretroviral therapy.
Macrophage
A large immune cell that devours infectious material and other foreign invaders, as well as
stimulating other immune cells. Macrophages can harbor large quantities of HIV without being killed,
acting as reservoirs of the virus.
Opportunistic infection
An infection which occurs in people with defective immune systems and is caused by an organism
that does not usually cause illness in people with healthy immune systems.
Protein
A large molecule composed of one or more chains of smaller molecules called amino acids.
Proteins are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body's cells, tissues and
organs. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
Protease inhibitors
A class of antiretroviral drugs, designed to interfere with the action of HIV's protease enzyme.
Protease works as "chemical scissors" to cut up newly created chains of protein into smaller pieces.
These pieces are then used to build new HIV virus particles.
Resistance
Experts are concerned that HIV is becoming immune to previously effective drugs. This is because
the virus has the ability to mutate rapidly.
Retrovirus
A rudimentary form of virus which carries its genetic information in the form of RNA. This means that
it can easily be copied into the DNA of the host cell's chromosomes. HIV is a retrovirus - some other
members of the retrovirus family cause cancers.
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Drugs which interfere with an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which HIV needs in order to copy
its genes into the host cell and reproduce itself. These are the oldest class of antiretroviral drugs,
and come in three different forms, each of which has a slightly different mode of action. The three
types are: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
RNA
A molecule similar in structure to DNA which transmits genetic information from DNA to other parts of
the cell, and controls certain chemical processes within the cell.
T cell
A white blood cell which orchestrates the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells.
CD4+ cells, which HIV targets, are a particular type of T cell.
Transmission
The process by which the virus is passed from one individual to another. HIV is transmitted through
body fluids, particularly blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. The most common forms
of transmission are through sexual intercourse with an infected person, by sharing needles when
injecting drugs and from mother to child when breastfeeding.
Viral load
The amount of HIV in the blood, measured in the number of copies of the virus per milliliter of blood
plasma.
The most severe result of HIV infection, occurring when the immune system is effectively disabled.
People with Aids often have infections of the lungs, brain, eyes and other organs. They may often
also experience severe weight loss, diarrhea and certain types of cancer.
Antibodies
Proteins produced by the immune system to neutralize infections or malignant cells.
Antigen
Any foreign substance, such as a virus, bacterium or protein, that triggers an immune response by
stimulating the production of antibodies.
Antiretroviral drugs
Substances used to kill or inhibit the multiplication of retroviruses such as HIV.
CD4+ cell
An immune system cell which plays a key role in orchestrating the way the immune system attacks
foreign invaders. HIV infection leads to the destruction of these cells, leaving the immune system
less able to fight infection. A normal CD4+ count in a healthy, HIV negative adult is usually between
600 and 1200 per cubic millimeter of blood. In an AIDS patient it is usually below 200.
Combination therapy
Two or more antiretroviral drugs or treatments used together to achieve optimum results against HIV
infection and/or AIDS. Combining drugs has proved to be more effective at reducing the amount of
the HIV in the body than the use of single drugs by themselves. An example of combination therapy
would be the use of two nucleoside analogue drugs plus either a protease inhibitor or a
non-nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor.
Fusion inhibitors
A class of drugs which prevent HIV from penetrating the host cell. There is currently just one fusion
inhibitor available, Fuzeon.
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules are known as the building blocks of life. They carry the
genetic information necessary to create cells and to ensure that they function in the right way.
Enzymes
Proteins that stimulate particular chemical reactions.
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)
A combination of three or four different drug treatments which has been found to be an effective way
to block the progress of HIV, and to reduce the amount of virus to the level where it becomes
undetectable in a patient's blood.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)
The virus which is thought to cause most cases of AIDS. Infection occurs when the virus inserts its
own genetic material into a host cell, preventing it from carrying out its natural functions and turning it
into an HIV factory.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2)
A virus closely related to HIV-1 that has also been found to cause AIDS. It was first isolated in West
Africa.
Immune system
The body's defense mechanism, which seeks out and destroys foreign invaders.
Integrase inhibitors
Drugs currently under development which interfere with HIV's integrase enzyme. Integrase plays a
key role in the process where the HIV virus inserts its own genetic material into the host cell in order
to use the cell to make new virus particles.
Kaposi's sarcoma
A type of cancer closely associated with AIDS. It usually appears as pink or purple painless spots on
the skin or inside the mouth. It can also attack the eyes and occur internally.
Long-term non-progressor
An individual who has been living with HIV for at least 7 to 12 years and has a stable CD4+ cell count
despite not having had antiretroviral therapy.
Macrophage
A large immune cell that devours infectious material and other foreign invaders, as well as
stimulating other immune cells. Macrophages can harbor large quantities of HIV without being killed,
acting as reservoirs of the virus.
Opportunistic infection
An infection which occurs in people with defective immune systems and is caused by an organism
that does not usually cause illness in people with healthy immune systems.
Protein
A large molecule composed of one or more chains of smaller molecules called amino acids.
Proteins are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body's cells, tissues and
organs. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
Protease inhibitors
A class of antiretroviral drugs, designed to interfere with the action of HIV's protease enzyme.
Protease works as "chemical scissors" to cut up newly created chains of protein into smaller pieces.
These pieces are then used to build new HIV virus particles.
Resistance
Experts are concerned that HIV is becoming immune to previously effective drugs. This is because
the virus has the ability to mutate rapidly.
Retrovirus
A rudimentary form of virus which carries its genetic information in the form of RNA. This means that
it can easily be copied into the DNA of the host cell's chromosomes. HIV is a retrovirus - some other
members of the retrovirus family cause cancers.
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Drugs which interfere with an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which HIV needs in order to copy
its genes into the host cell and reproduce itself. These are the oldest class of antiretroviral drugs,
and come in three different forms, each of which has a slightly different mode of action. The three
types are: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors
and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors.
RNA
A molecule similar in structure to DNA which transmits genetic information from DNA to other parts of
the cell, and controls certain chemical processes within the cell.
T cell
A white blood cell which orchestrates the immune system's response to infected or malignant cells.
CD4+ cells, which HIV targets, are a particular type of T cell.
Transmission
The process by which the virus is passed from one individual to another. HIV is transmitted through
body fluids, particularly blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. The most common forms
of transmission are through sexual intercourse with an infected person, by sharing needles when
injecting drugs and from mother to child when breastfeeding.
Viral load
The amount of HIV in the blood, measured in the number of copies of the virus per milliliter of blood
plasma.
| Office of HIV and AIDS Ministry Archdiocese of Atlanta 680 W. Peachtree St., NW Atlanta, GA 30308 Tel. (404) 885-7207 Irene Miranda, Director |
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DISCLAIMER
Considering the nature of
the Internet, the
Archdiocese of Atlanta’s
HIV/AIDS Ministry cannot
take responsibility for the
contents of sites that may
be accessed through these
web pages. These links do
not represent, necessarily,
the position of the
Archdiocese of Atlanta’s
HIV/AIDS Ministry, much
less an archdiocesan
endorsement of a
particular site.
A mature selective criteria
on the part of the user is
necessary when using the
Internet. In general, we
strongly recommend
parents to supervise their
children while surfing the
Net. While avoiding
censorship, we make every
effort to post suitable
information and links
which may be of value to
understand HIV/AIDS. It is
the user's responsibility to
decide whether or not a
particular site is
appropriate, according to
the user’s personal criteria.
Considering the nature of
the Internet, the
Archdiocese of Atlanta’s
HIV/AIDS Ministry cannot
take responsibility for the
contents of sites that may
be accessed through these
web pages. These links do
not represent, necessarily,
the position of the
Archdiocese of Atlanta’s
HIV/AIDS Ministry, much
less an archdiocesan
endorsement of a
particular site.
A mature selective criteria
on the part of the user is
necessary when using the
Internet. In general, we
strongly recommend
parents to supervise their
children while surfing the
Net. While avoiding
censorship, we make every
effort to post suitable
information and links
which may be of value to
understand HIV/AIDS. It is
the user's responsibility to
decide whether or not a
particular site is
appropriate, according to
the user’s personal criteria.
