AIDS

Examples of AIDS in the following topics:

• Cryptococcosis

  • People who have defects in their cell-mediated immunity; for example, people with AIDS; are especially susceptible to disseminated cryptococcosis.
  • Cryptococcosis is a defining opportunistic infection for AIDS.
  • The prevalence of cryptococcosis has been increasing over the past 20 years for many reasons, including the increase in incidence of AIDS and the expanded use of immunosuppressive drugs.
  • Treatment options in non-AIDS patients who have reduced immune-system function is not well studied.
  • Persons living with AIDS often have a greater chance of disease and higher mortality (30-70% at ten-weeks), but recommended therapy is with antifungal agents such as Amphotericin B and flucytosine.

• HIV and AIDS

  • HIV is the cause of the spectrum of disease known as HIV/AIDS.
  • The World Health Organization first proposed a definition for AIDS in 1986.
  • Stage 1: CD4 count ≥ 500 cells/uL and no AIDS defining conditions
  • Stage 2: CD4 count 200 to 500 cells/uL and no AIDS defining conditions
  • Stage 3: CD4 count ≤ 200 cells/uL or AIDS defining conditions

• Secondary Immunodeficiency Diseases

  • Immunodeficiency is also the hallmark of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) , caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  • Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is defined in terms of either a CD4+ T cell count below 200 cells per µL or the occurrence of specific diseases in association with an HIV infection.
  • In the absence of specific treatment, around half the people infected with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years.
  • The most common initial conditions that alert to the presence of AIDS are pneumocystis pneumonia and cachexia.

• Fungi

  • The immunocompromised hosts that commonly become infected with Candida include transplant patients, cancer patients and AIDS sufferers.
  • Cryptococcus neoformans causes severe forms of meningitis and meningo-encephalitis in patients with HIV infection and AIDS.
  • Pneumocystis jirovecii results in the formation of pneumonia in individuals with weakened immune systems including premature children, the elderly and AIDS patients.

• Nucleotide and Nonnucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors

  • Due to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world, it is important to have drugs that will prevent or cure the infection .
  • The data shows the people, between 18-49 years, by country who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

• Opportunistic Microorganisms

  • HIV can develop into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which infects and destroys helper T cells (specifically CD4+ T cells).
  • When immunity is lost, the opportunistic microorganisms can easily infect the AIDS patient without being destroyed by the immune system.

• Finding Patient Zero and Tracking Diseases

  • For example, in the early years of the AIDS epidemic there was controversy about a so-called Patient Zero, who was the basis of a complex transmission scenario.
  • Louis, Missouri of complications from AIDS in 1969, and most likely became infected in the 1950s, so there were prior carriers of HIV strains in North America.

• The Science of Epidemiology

  • This map captures the estimated number of people in the world living with HIV/AIDS in 2008.

• Development of New Vaccines

  • Continuing intensive efforts are under way to develop effective vaccines for AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, dengue, leishmaniasis, and enteric diseases, among others and to adapt new technologies to improve formulation and delivery.

• Overview of Biotechnology

  • The most important are screening techniques to protect the blood supply against contamination by AIDS and the hepatitis B and C viruses.