20 Questions
What is the primary receptor used by HIV for entry into macrophages?
CCR5
What is the function of the Nef protein in HIV?
Decreases host CD4 and MHC1 expression
What is the purpose of Western blot in HIV diagnosis?
Confirmation test for HIV
What is the primary mechanism of action of Protease inhibitors in HIV treatment?
Preventing cleavage of proteins for viral replication
What is the function of the Env gene in HIV?
Codes for surface protein GP120 and transmembrane protein GP41
What is the purpose of PCR in HIV diagnosis?
Measuring viral load
What is the function of the Gag gene in HIV?
Codes for structural proteins, including capsid and nucleocapsid
What is the primary mechanism of action of NNRTIs in HIV treatment?
Inhibiting reverse transcriptase
What is the function of the Pol gene in HIV?
Codes for enzymes, including reverse transcriptase and integrase
What is the purpose of HART therapy in HIV treatment?
Combination therapy for HIV
What is the primary mechanism by which a retrovirus like HIV replicates?
Reverse transcription
Which protein is responsible for coding the gp41 and gp120 proteins in HIV?
Env
What is the name of the protein that makes up the capsule of the HIV virus?
Gag
Which cells are primarily targeted by HIV?
Macrophages
What is the name of the protein that is responsible for reverse transcription in HIV?
Reverse transcriptase
What is the name of the disease that occurs when HIV infection progresses to a certain point?
AIDS
What is the primary mode of transmission of HIV?
Through sex and blood transfusion
What is the characteristic of HIV's genetic material?
Single-stranded RNA
What is the name of the cells that are targeted by HIV and are important for the immune response?
Helper T cells
What is the characteristic of HIV's latency period?
HIV remains dormant for 10 years
Study Notes
Retrovirus
- A retrovirus is a single-stranded RNA virus that uses reverse transcription to convert its RNA into DNA.
- Examples of retroviruses include HIV.
HIV
- HIV is a diploid RNA virus, meaning it has two copies of its genome.
- The virus is enveloped, with a protein coat that surrounds the genome.
Genes and Proteins
- The Gag gene codes for the structural proteins p24 (capsid), p7p9 (nucleocapsid), and p17 (matrix).
- The Pol gene codes for reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease.
- The Env gene codes for the surface protein gp120 (binds to CD4, CCR5, and CXCR4) and the transmembrane protein gp41.
Transmission and Infection
- HIV is primarily transmitted through sexual contact and blood transfusions.
- The virus initially infects macrophages and then targets helper T cells (CD4 cells).
- The infection can remain latent for 10 years, replicating in lymph nodes, before progressing to AIDS.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
- The initial symptoms of HIV infection are flu-like, with fever and cervical lymphadenopathy, and may include enlarged tonsils.
- HIV can cause encephalopathy and wasting syndrome.
- Diagnosis involves screening for antibodies using ELISA tests, followed by confirmation with Western blot tests.
- Viral load and CD4 count can be measured using PCR, and HIV RNA or DNA amplification tests.
Treatment
- Combination antiretroviral therapy (HART) is more effective than monotherapy.
- NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) are a backbone of HART therapy, and include zidovudine, which is used in pregnant patients.
- NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) inhibit reverse transcriptase and do not incorporate into the DNA chain.
- Protease inhibitors prevent the cleavage of proteins necessary for viral replication.
- CCR5 inhibitors, such as maraviroc, prevent the virus from entering the cell by blocking the CCR5 receptor.
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