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Glossary

The Clinicalinfo Glossary features definitions for terms related to HIV/AIDS. Images or illustrations are provided with certain terms as a tool to aid in the understanding of terms and concepts.

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Featured Terms

A (148 terms)

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Acquired Immunity: develops during a person's lifetime. There are two types of acquired immunity: active immunity and passive immunity.

Acquired Immunity

Graphic of HIV progression: before infection, acute HIV infection, chronic HIV infection, and AIDS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Active Immunity develops after exposure to a disease-causing infectious microorganism or foreign substance, either infection or vaccination.

Active Immunity

Graph of acute HIV infection that extends approximately 2 to 4 weeks until the body produces enough HIV antibodies to be detected by a test.

Acute HIV Infection

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Acute Retinal Necrosis (ARN)

Taking HIV medicines daily can have many benefits.

Conditions that lead to an AIDS diagnosis

AIDS Case Definition

Examples of AIDS-defining conditions, included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of diagnostic criteria for AIDS.

AIDS-Defining Condition

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Analytical Treatment Interruption (ATI)

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Pregnancy consists of three periods: antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum.

The phases of a clinical trial

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Area Under the Curve (AUC)

Assembly, the sixth of seven steps in the HIV life cycle, where new HIV RNA and HIV proteins assemble into HIV.

Progression of HIV infection to AIDS illustrated with test tubes, CD4 cells, and virions.

Asymptomatic HIV Infection

Binding is the first step of HIV replication.

The basis of an HIV treatment plan

An HIV virus particle binds (attaches itself) to the surface of the CD4 cell through a CD4 receptor and a CCR5 or CXCR4 coreceptor.

A booster is taken with other HIV medicines

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Graph of the Budding step in the HIV life cycle, where HIV pushes itself out of the host CD4 cell.

Internal component of an HIV

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Capsid Inhibitor(s)

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

C-C Chemokine Receptor 5

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

CCR5 antagonists prevent attachment.

CCR5 Antagonist

CCR5 antagonists prevent attachment.

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

Progression of HIV infection to AIDS illustrated with test tubes, CD4 cells, and virions.

Chronic HIV Infection

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Progression of HIV infection to AIDS illustrated with test tubes, CD4 cells, and virions.

Clinical Latency

The phases of a clinical trial

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Groups of people with similar characteristics

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Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP)

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

C-X-C Chemokine Receptor 4

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

HIV medicines and a pharmacokinetic enhancer are taken together

CYP3A Inhibitors

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

Cysteine-Cysteine Chemokine Receptor 5

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Dosage FormInjectable SolutionsOral SolutionsPowdersCapsulesTablets

Drugs can interact with other drugs.

Drug-Drug Interaction

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Drug Formulation

Drugs interactions can affect treatment.

Drug Interaction

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

Dual-Tropic Virus

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Empiric Therapy

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The HIV envelope is the outer portion of an HIV virion.

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Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)

Example of a fixed-dose combination (FDC) HIV drug is Atripla, a combination of efavirenz, emtricitabine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

Fixed-Dose Combination (FDC)

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Functional Monotherapy

HIV binds to a host CD4 cell via coreceptors.

Fusion is the step when HIV attaches itself to a host CD4 cell and the HIV viral envelope fuses with the CD4 cell membrane.

Fusion Inhibitor is an HIV drug class which blocks the HIV envelope from merging with the host CD4 cell membrane (fusion).

Fusion Inhibitor

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Genetic Engineering

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Half-Life (t_½)

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Hepatitis A Virus Infection (HAV)

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Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

Steps involved in successful HIV treatment

HIV Care Continuum

Steps involved in successful HIV treatment

HIV Continuum of Care

Graphic of HIV progression: before infection, acute HIV infection, chronic HIV infection, and AIDS.

HIV Progression

Steps involved in successful HIV treatment

HIV Treatment Cascade

Internal component of an HIV

The HIV envelope is the outer portion of an HIV virion.

HIV Viral Envelope

HIV virion labeled with components of virus.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Many organs make up the immune system.

Flow chart describing the different classifications of immunity

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In vitro experiments occur in an artificial environment.

In vivo experiments occur in a living organism.

Integration is step four of HIV replication.

Integrase strand transfer inhibitor blocks HIV replication.

Integrase Inhibitor

Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor (INSTI) is an HIV drug class which block integrase (an HIV enzyme).

Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor (INSTI)

Integration is the step in the HIV life cycle where HIV uses integrase to insert its viral DNA into the DNA of the host cell.

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Interventional Study

Pregnancy consists of three periods: antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum.

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Intravaginal Ring (IVR)

The phases of a clinical trial

Investigational New Drug (IND) Application

Steps of HIV replication

Long-term non-progressors naturally maintain normal CD4 counts.

Long-Term Nonprogressors (LTNP)

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

Macrophage-Tropic Virus

HIV transmission from mother to baby

Maternal-Child Transmission

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Maturation Inhibitor (MI)

Seroconcordant Couple, Serodifferent Couple

Mixed-Status Couple

HIV transmission from mother to baby

Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT)

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Multicentric Castleman Disease (MCD)

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Multidrug-Resistant HIV (MDR-HIV)

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Multipurpose Prevention Technology (MPT)

The phases of a clinical trial

New Drug Application (NDA)

NNRTIs and NRTIs block reverse transcription.

Non-Nucleoside Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

NNRTIs and NRTIs block reverse transcription.

Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NNRTI)

NNRTIs and NRTIs block reverse transcription.

Nucleoside Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

NNRTIs and NRTIs block reverse transcription.

Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NRTI)

Reverse transcription is the third step of HIV replication.

Nucleotide Analogue Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

Reverse transcription is the third step of HIV replication.

Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (NtRTI)

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Opportunistic Infection (OI)

Passive Immunity

Passive Immunity

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Peak Concentration

HIV transmission from mother to baby

Perinatal Transmission

HIV medicines and a pharmacokinetic enhancer are taken together

Pharmacokinetic Enhancers

The second step of a clinical trial

The third step of a clinical trial

The fourth step of a clinical trial

The fifth step of a clinical trial

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Phenylketonuria

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Pregnancy consists of three periods: antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum.

The first step of a clinical trial

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Primary Effusion Lymphoma (PEL)

Progression of HIV infection to AIDS illustrated with test tubes, CD4 cells, and virions.

Primary HIV Infection

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Primary Varicella Infection

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Progressive Outer Retinal Necrosis (PORN)

Budding is step seven of HIV replication.

Protease inhibitors block HIV maturation.

Protease Inhibitor (PI)

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

R5-Tropic Virus

Viral rebound from undetectable to detectable viral loads

Simplifying a regimen can have many benefits.

Regimen Simplification

Graphic of the replication step of the HIV life cycle.

Steps of HIV replication

Replication Cycle

Reverse transcription is the third step of HIV replication.

Reverse Transcriptase (RT)

Graph of reverse transcription in the HIV life cycle, where an HIV enzyme converts HIV RNA into HIV DNA.

Reverse Transcription

Seroconcordant Couple, Serodifferent Couple

Seroconcordant Couple

Seroconcordant Couple, Serodifferent Couple

Serodifferent Couple

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Sulfa Medicine(s)

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

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Toxoplasma gondii Encephalitis

Replication is step five of HIV replication.

Transcription and Translation

The transition from treatment-naïve to treatment-experienced

Treatment-Experienced

The transition from treatment-naïve to treatment-experienced

Treatment-Naive

Simplifying a regimen can have many benefits.

Treatment Simplification

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

Trough Concentration

Diagram of drug absorption and elimination in the body.

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Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)

HIV medicines reduce viral loads to undetectable levels.

Undetectable Viral Load

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

HIV transmission from mother to baby

Vertical Transmission

Viral rebound from undetectable to detectable viral loads

HIV viral load is reduced to an undetectable level with ART.

Viral Suppression

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

An HIV infection is suppressed to undetectable levels with HIV treatment.

Virologic Control

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Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

Ways in which an HIV virion can attach to a CD4 cell

X4-Tropic Virus