AIDS, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the end stage of an HIV infection. AIDS can be diagnosed based on the effects that it has on the immune system. The main ways in which AIDS is treated is by slowing the progression of the virus and treating opportunistic infections, though new treatments are being developed.
HIV Progression
HIV is a virus that specifically attacks special cells within the immune system known as CD4 cells. CD4 cells are needed to help the body fight off infections; as a result, as HIV attacks and depletes the number of CD4 cells available, the immune system becomes weaker and weaker until AIDS results. It can take many years for an HIV infection to progress to AIDS.
CD4 Count
Because CD4 cells gradually become depleted as an HIV infection progresses to AIDS, a patient's CD4 count is a test often used to monitor HIV's progression. This test involves measuring the number of CD4 cells in a blood sample. A CD4 count below 200 is grounds for a diagnosis of AIDS.
Opportunistic Infections
HIV patients can also be diagnosed with AIDS if they contract an opportunistic infection. These are conditions that normally do not affect patients with healthy immune systems but are able to cause serious health problems in patients with immune systems that have been weakened by AIDS. Common opportunistic infections include pneumocystic carinii pneumonia, candida esophagitis, cryptococcal meningitis and toxoplasma encephalitis. These infections can be treated with antibacterial or antifungal medications, though the exact treatment depends on the type of infection contracted.
Antiretroviral Treatment
HIV is a retrovirus, which means that it must convert its genetic material from RNA to DNA to fully infect human cells. As such, there are numerous medications, known as antiretroviral drugs, that can be used to slow the progression of HIV and to treat AIDS. Some of these medications, such as zidovudine, abacavir and efavirenz, keep the virus from converting its RNA to DNA, the Mayo Clinic explains. Other medications, such as integrase inhibitors, keep the virus from incorporating its genes into host cells. Protease inhibitors, such as ritonavir and darunavir, keep the virus from unpackaging itself once inside the cell. Finally, fusion inhibitors can be used to prevent the virus from entering into CD4 cells.
Emerging Treatments
Unfortunately, currently existing antiretroviral treatments are not able to repair the immune system once it has been ravaged by AIDS. Researchers are working on developing new treatments that can increase the number of CD4 cells in the body, explains AIDSInfoNet.org. One approach is taking some of the patient's CD4 cells and replicating them in a test tube. Another option is to give patients chemicals that will signal to the immune system to make more CD4 cells. Finally, researchers are also working on treatments that will make the bone marrow immune to HIV, allowing it to make more CD4 cells.
