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Glossary eSCART
adherence
How closely a patient follows a prescribed treatment regimen.
anti-HIV drugs
Anti-HIV drugs stop HIV from reproducing and belong to a group
called antiviral drugs.
boosting
Using ritonavir as medication to increase blood levels of other PIs.
combination therapy
Combination therapy is a way of treating HIV infection by taking
three or more anti-HIV drugs together.
compensatory mutations
These are minor PIs mutations which emerge later compared to
major mutations, and by themselves do not have a significant effect
on viral phenotype. In some cases, their effect may be to improve
replicative fitness of the virus containing major mutations.
cross-resistance
When resistance to one antiretroviral medication produces
resistance to other antiretroviral medications.
detectable virus
When an HIV blood test identifies copies of the HIV virus in the
blood.
DNA
DNA stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid. It’s what the genome of all
plants and animals is made of.
dNTPs
The nucleotide bases added to the growing DNA strand by the DNA
polymerase.
drug resistance
When HIV develops resistance, anti-HIV drugs stop working
because of mutations in the genome of the virus.
false-positive
When a test for HIV gives an incorrect positive result, the result is
called a false-positive.
genetic barrier
The genetic barrier is a threshold specific to each drug above which
ART drug resistance develops.
genotype test
It includes sequencing the relevant parts of the genes coding for the
viral drug targets, namely the protease and the reverse
transcriptase, and recording amino acid differences to a reference
strain.
genome
A genome is the set of instructions inside every cell or virus that
describes how that cell or virus is made and behaves.
HAART
Highly Active Anti Retroviral Therapy, three or more anti-HIV drugs
together.
HIV-1
One of the two types, or strains, of the HIV virus. HIV-1 is far more
widespread than HIV-2.
HIV-2
One of the two types, or strains, of the HIV virus. HIV-2 is found
mostly in parts of West Africa, but HIV-1 is found across the world.
HIV, levels of
Generally refers to the viral load, which is the amount of HIV
circulating in the blood.
immune system
Your immune system is the group of cells, organs and other parts of
your body that work together to protect you from germs.
infection
An infection occurs when a germ gets into your body and starts to
reproduce. Infections often cause disease.
infections, opportunistic
An opportunistic infection, or OI, is an infection that usually causes
disease only in someone with a weak immune system, like people
with AIDS.
K103N
NNRTI-associated mutation that confers cross resistance to all
approved NNRTIs.
K65R
It is a mutation which can emerge while on tenofovir, abacavir, and
didanosine; it is anyway the signature mutation of tenofovir.
mutations
When the HIV virus is making copies of itself spontaneous mistakes
occur: these mistakes are called “mutations”.
M184V
It is a mutation which emerges rapidly in non-suppressive regimens
containing lamivudine or emtricitabine.
NAMs (nucleoside analogue-associated mutations)
Mutations associated with resistance to numerous NRTIs).
natural selection
Natural selection is the process of eliminating inferior mutations so
that only the “best” mutations survive and reproduce.
NRTI
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (i.e. AZT, d4T, ddI, 3TC,
ABC)
NNRTI
Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (i.e. NVP, EFV)
Nukes
See NRTIs
OIs
An opportunistic infection, or OI, is an infection that usually causes
disease only in someone with a weak immune system, like people
with AIDS.
opportunistic infections
An opportunistic infection, or OI, is an infection that usually causes
disease only in someone with a weak immune system, like people
with AIDS.
protease
Protease is one of the proteins found inside HIV but not inside
normal cells.
protease inhibitors (PIs)
Protease inhibitors are anti-HIV drugs that block protease, a protein
HIV needs to reproduce.
phenotype testing
It provides reference values for drug resistance by directly
measuring viral replication in the presence of increasing drug
concentration.
proteins
Cells make proteins, many different kinds, as part of their normal
routine.
quasispecies
Diverse mixture of viral population, each differing by one or more
mutations.
receptors
Receptors are proteins on the surface of a cell. HIV can only get
inside cells that have a particular receptor called CD4.
replication
When a virus gets inside a cell and uses the cell to make copies of
itself.
resistance
When HIV develops resistance, anti-HIV drugs stop working
because of mutations in the genome of the virus.
retrovirus
A retrovirus is a special kind of virus with a genome made of RNA.
reverse transcriptase
Reverse transcriptase is one of the proteins found inside HIV but not
inside normal cells.
reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors are anti-HIV drugs that block
reverse transcriptase, a protein HIV needs to reproduce.
RNA
RNA stands for RiboNucleic Acid. The genome of retroviruses like
HIV is made of RNA.
RTIs
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors are anti-HIV drugs that block
reverse transcriptase, a protein HIV needs to reproduce.
strains of HIV
Type of HIV as HIV-1, HIV-2.
TAMs
TAMs are mutations selected by thymidine analogues ZDV and d4T
and accumulate in step-wise fashion. The M41L, D67N, K70R,
L210W, T215Y/F, and K219Q/E are thymidine analogue mutations
transcription
Transcription is what cells do when they build proteins according to
the “recipe” stored in a piece of RNA.
undetectable
When an HIV blood test cannot identify copies of the HIV virus in
the blood.
viral load
The viral load is the amount of HIV circulating in the blood.
viral load test
A viral load test measures the amount of HIV circulating in the
blood.
viral replication
When a virus gets inside a cell and uses the cell to make copies of
itself.
viral resistance
When HIV develops resistance, anti-HIV drugs stop working
because of mutations in the genome of the virus.
wild-type virus
HIV wild-type virus is a non-mutated virus.