| AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection. | | | | Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus, |
| The criteria of AIDS include HIV infection | | | | human papillomavirus and Epstein -Barr virus |
| with fewer than 200 CD4 positive T cells per | | | | are the causative agents. Without |
| cubic millimeter of blood (norm is more than | | | | antiretroviral therapy, AIDS patent die in a |
| 1,000), and two dozens of opportunistic | | | | year commonly.Antiretroviral therapy gives |
| infections, which rarely affect normal | | | | more than 5 years of live. PCP (Pneumocystis |
| people. Opportunistic means that the | | | | carinii (jiroveci) pneumonia) is a common |
| infection took opportunity of the weakened | | | | cause of death in AIDS.Tuberculosis (TB) in |
| immune system. AIDS-related infections are | | | | AIDS is often multi-drug resistant. |
| often very severe and caused by unusual | | | | Tuberculosis in AIDS may affect bone marrow, |
| bacteria, viruses, fungi, and | | | | bone, kidney, bladder, guts, liver, lymph |
| parasites.Symptoms of AIDS include:* Weight | | | | nodes, brain and spine. It is also more |
| loss | | | | severe in lungs than usual.Oesophagitis |
| | | | (inflammation of esophagus) is common. |
| * Energy loss | | | | Chronic diarrhea in HIV infection is caused |
| | | | by Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, |
| * Diarrhea | | | | Campylobacter Escherichia coli, parasites, |
| | | | which happen in normal |
| * Persistent fever | | | | people.Cryptosporidiosis, Microsporidiosis, |
| | | | Mycobacterium avium complex and |
| * Cough | | | | cytomegalovirus are rarely if ever seen in |
| | | | healthy people. However they are common in |
| * Shortness of breath | | | | HIV. Diarrhea also explains significant body |
| | | | wasting in AIDS. Neural system is often |
| * Seizures | | | | affected by parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It |
| | | | infects brain, eyes and lungs.JC virus causes |
| * Painful swallowing | | | | progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy |
| | | | that leads to destruction of brain cell |
| * Confusion | | | | connections. It happens only in severely |
| | | | weakened immune deficiency. HIV Infected |
| * Forgetfulness | | | | brain macrophages produce neurotoxins that |
| | | | lead to dementia and |
| * Vision problems | | | | encephalopathy.Cryptococcus is an |
| | | | opportunistic parasite that causes meningitis |
| * Persistent headaches | | | | (inflammation of brain covering tissue). |
| | | | Fevers, headache, fatigue, vomiting, seizures |
| * Children have severe forms of typically | | | | and confusion often develop.Citomegalovirus |
| childhood infections of eyes, ears and | | | | may cause colitis (bowel inflammation) and |
| throat.AIDS patients often develop Kaposi's | | | | retinitis (an eye layer inflammation) that |
| sarcoma (round brown, reddish, or purple | | | | leads to blindness. Penicillium fungi also |
| blots on skin) and cervical cancer (in | | | | cause opportunistic infections especially in |
| women).Lymphoma is also a common condition. | | | | Asia.Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD. |