Commonly misunderstood definitions
By: Karen McGlenn
Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: AIDS awareness day at Webster
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HAART - Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, usually a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs that slows down the progression of HIV.
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a contracted retrovirus that weakens the body's immune system.
Kaposi's sarcoma - A type of cancer considered to be an AIDS-defining illness caused by an overgrowth of blood vessels, which can leave spots or bumps on the skin. Can also occur in the intestines, lymph nodes and lungs and can be life-threatening.
Lesions - Infected sores on the skin.
Long-term nonprogressors - People who have been HIV-positive for several years, who have maintained a T cell count of at least 600, have had no HIV-related illnesses and have not required any antiretroviral therapy.
Retrovirus - A type of virus that can clone itself from a single-stranded RNA to a double-stranded DNA, which integrates back into the host cell's genes.
RNA - ribonucleic acid, a single-stranded molecule that acts as a guide for protein synthesis. RNA is generally created from DNA. Some viruses contain only RNA rather than DNA.
Virus - A molecule, generally consisting of a protein coat and genetic material, which needs a host cell to make copies of itself in order to reproduce. Arguments abound as to whether viruses are living or not; most agree that they are non-living particles. Examples are measles, mumps, polio, influenza and the common cold.
Wasting syndrome - Can be an AIDS-defining illness, refers to loss of more than 10 percent of body weight, loss of muscle mass, more than 30 days of diarrhea and fever.
The information above was found at the following Web sites: http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov, a Web site provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Virology Journal at http://www.virology.net and also at WebMD, a medical information Web site, accessible at http://www.webmd.com.
HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus, a contracted retrovirus that weakens the body's immune system.
Kaposi's sarcoma - A type of cancer considered to be an AIDS-defining illness caused by an overgrowth of blood vessels, which can leave spots or bumps on the skin. Can also occur in the intestines, lymph nodes and lungs and can be life-threatening.
Lesions - Infected sores on the skin.
Long-term nonprogressors - People who have been HIV-positive for several years, who have maintained a T cell count of at least 600, have had no HIV-related illnesses and have not required any antiretroviral therapy.
Retrovirus - A type of virus that can clone itself from a single-stranded RNA to a double-stranded DNA, which integrates back into the host cell's genes.
RNA - ribonucleic acid, a single-stranded molecule that acts as a guide for protein synthesis. RNA is generally created from DNA. Some viruses contain only RNA rather than DNA.
Virus - A molecule, generally consisting of a protein coat and genetic material, which needs a host cell to make copies of itself in order to reproduce. Arguments abound as to whether viruses are living or not; most agree that they are non-living particles. Examples are measles, mumps, polio, influenza and the common cold.
Wasting syndrome - Can be an AIDS-defining illness, refers to loss of more than 10 percent of body weight, loss of muscle mass, more than 30 days of diarrhea and fever.
The information above was found at the following Web sites: http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov, a Web site provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the Virology Journal at http://www.virology.net and also at WebMD, a medical information Web site, accessible at http://www.webmd.com.
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