AIDS TREATMENT UPDATE, Issue 42, June 1996
Edward King
A protein substance produced by the immune system in response to a foreign organism
* anti-histamine
A drug that counteracts allergic symptoms such as hayfever
* anti-retroviral
Something that acts against retroviruses, the family of viruses to which HIV belongs
* CD4
A molecule on the surface of some cells onto which HIV can bind. The CD4 cell count roughly reflects the healt h of the immune system
Using more than one drug at a time
* cryotherapy
Using freezing cold as part of medical treatment
* disease progression
Worsening of disease
* expanded access scheme
A programme that allows early access to an experimental drug outside clinical trials for people in particular need
* lymph nodes
Special areas in the body where white blood cells and other important immune cells gather. Also known as glands
* monotherapy
Taking a drug on its own, as opposed to in combination therapy with other drugs
* named patient basis prescribing
A means of access to an unapproved drug in which a doctor requests supplies of the drug from the manufacturer for a specific individual
* nucleoside
One of the building blocks from which DNA and RNA are made. Nucleoside analogue drugs such as AZT resemble one of these building blocks
* opportunistic infections
Infections that are not harmful to people with healthy immune systems but do cause disease in people with damaged immunity
* prophylaxis
Taking a drug to delay or prevent an illness from happening
* protease
An enzyme that HIV uses to break up large proteins into smaller ones from which new HIV particles can be made
* resistance
An ability to withstand the effects of a drug that used to be effective
* retrovirus
A type of virus which carries its genetic material in the form of RNA rather than DNA. HIV is a retrovirus
* reverse transcriptase
A retroviral enzyme which converts genetic material from RNA into DNA, an essential step in HIVÆs lifecycle
* RNA
The chemical form in which HIV stores its genetic material
* surrogate marker
An indirect indicator of something such as the effect of a drug
* tetanus immunisation
A vaccination against the poison produced by the tetanus organism, which may infect wounds
* viral load
The amount of virus in the blood
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