Thirty-three million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008, according to the National Institutes of Medicine. As the sixth-leading cause of death among people ages 25 to 44, HIV is yet to be curable. Two million children under the age of 15 are infected with HIV. Later symptoms of HIV lead to an AIDS diagnosis.
T-Cells
White blood cells fight infection in the body. A specific group of white blood cells called T-cells or T-lymphocytes are the main group of white blood cells that fight infection. The HIV virus infects the T-cell population, destroying the cells and leaving the body immuno-compromised. HIV in the later stages can severely deplete this cell line. This opens the door to opportunistic infections that only AIDS patients get. To measure the T-cells, a CD4 blood count is done. Patients with a CD4 count of less than 200 are considered to have an AIDS diagnosis.
PCP
A low CD4 count reflects a seriously immuno-compromised patient. Low counts occur in the late stages of HIV infection. An immuno-compromised patient is susceptible to opportunistic infections such as pneumocystis pneumonia, or PCP. PCP is a fungal infection that is caused by Pneumocystis jirovecci, a ubiquitous fungus found in the soil. HIV patients inhale the fungus and slowly develop PCP over weeks and months. The initial symptom of PCP is a mild shortness of breath that can progress to respiratory failure, according to the National Institutes of Health. Other symptoms include weight loss, fever and fatigue. Many HIV patients in the later stages are put on sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim or Bactrim pills for prevention of pneumocystis pneumonia.
Wasting Syndrome
In the late stages of HIV infection, wasting syndrome can occur. Wasting syndrome is different from weight loss in that wasting is the accelerated loss of muscle mass. Weight loss in conventional terms is the loss of fat. Wasting in HIV patients occurs for several reasons. People with HIV require increased nutrients to build healthy cells and fight off opportunistic infections so their metabolism is accelerated. Some HIV patients do not eat appropriately due to nausea and vomiting secondary to their medications, poor dietary knowledge and depression. According to AIDSmeds.com, the liver and kidneys require more energy to process the medications that patients take for HIV infection. Patients with late stage HIV infection have a disruption in their metabolism, according to AIDSmeds.com. Wasting may be attributable to hormonal imbalance as well as immune compromise.
