168: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Flashcards
(117 cards)
What is the primary mechanism by which HIV causes immune suppression?
HIV primarily causes immune suppression through the depletion of CD4+ lymphocytes and CD4+ cells of monocytic lineage.
What are the common clinical features of acute HIV infection?
Common clinical features of acute HIV infection include:
- Mononucleosis-like syndrome (fever, etc.)
- Laboratory findings: leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, transaminitis
- Morbilliform Rash: asymptomatic macules and papules on the face and upper trunk, which may be diffuse and pruritic (3-6 weeks after infection with HIV)
- Symptoms duration: lasts 2 to 3 weeks and resolves as plasma viremia decreases.
What is the significance of the ‘window period’ in HIV infection diagnosis?
The ‘window period’ refers to a delay of 3 to 4 weeks that typically occurs between newly acquired HIV-1 infection and the development of antibodies, making it critical for early diagnosis.
How does the clinical course of HIV infection change with access to antiretroviral therapy (ART)?
Access to combination ART significantly alters the course of HIV disease by:
- Markedly reducing the incidence of opportunistic infections
- Improving immune restoration if successfully achieved
- However, certain neoplasms, particularly those induced by sun exposure or virus-induced dysplasia, may still pose significant dermatologic burdens.
What are the implications of a CD4+ T-cell count of less than 200 cells/μL in an HIV-seropositive individual?
An HIV-seropositive individual with a CD4+ T-cell count of less than 200 cells/μL, or a CD4+ T-cell percentage of less than 14%, is considered to have AIDS, indicating a severe defect in cell-mediated immunity.
A 35-year-old HIV-seropositive individual has a CD4+ T-cell count of 180 cells/μL. What stage of HIV is this patient in, and why?
The patient is considered to have AIDS (HIV Stage 3) because a CD4+ T-cell count below 200 cells/μL is indicative of severe immunosuppression.
T or F: Efficient infection of a target cell by HIV requires not only expression of a CD4 molecule on the cell surface, but also the presence of a coreceptor (such as CXCR4 and CCR5). Any cell that expresses CD4 and an appropriate coreceptor may be infected by HIV.
True.
A patient with HIV presents with a diffuse morbilliform rash 3-6 weeks after infection. What is the likely diagnosis, and what is its significance?
The likely diagnosis is acute retroviral syndrome, which provides an opportunity for early HIV diagnosis during high levels of viremia.
What is the significance of CD4+ T-cell levels in HIV infection and treatment guidelines?
CD4+ T-cell levels are crucial in HIV infection; levels below 200 cells/μL indicate severe complications. Guidelines recommend initiating ART upon diagnosis regardless of CD4 count, reflecting the importance of early treatment.
What are common adverse cutaneous drug reactions associated with antiretroviral medications in HIV patients?
Common adverse reactions include morbilliform eruptions, urticaria, retinoid-like effects, and vasculitis. These reactions can complicate over 20% of prescriptions and are more severe in patients with HIV due to immune reconstitution.
What is HIV-related lipodystrophy and what are its clinical manifestations?
HIV-related lipodystrophy is characterized by abnormal fat distribution, including lipohypertrophy (central obesity, buffalo hump) and lipoatrophy (flattening of facial contours). It is associated with metabolic abnormalities like hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia.
What factors increase the risk of drug eruptions in HIV-infected individuals?
Factors include female gender, peripheral CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/μL, CD8+ T-cell count >460 cells/μL, and a history of drug eruptions. These factors relate to the pathogenesis of severe reactions like SJS/TEN.
How is the diagnosis of drug reactions in HIV patients typically approached?
Diagnosis is primarily clinical and often a diagnosis of exclusion. It involves identifying the culprit medication, as reactions can occur even weeks after discontinuation. New-onset hypersensitivity may also develop in HIV-infected individuals.
What is the role of HLA-B5701 testing in HIV treatment?
HLA-B5701 testing is used to screen for hypersensitivity reactions to abacavir, a common antiretroviral drug.
A patient with HIV presents with a buffalo hump and increased abdominal girth. What is the likely diagnosis, and what is the cause?
The likely diagnosis is lipohypertrophy, often caused by protease inhibitors (PIs) used in ART.
What are the management strategies for lipodystrophy in HIV patients?
Management of lipodystrophy remains challenging. Strategies include:
- Substitution of ART regimens containing stavudine and zidovudine for partial benefit in lipoatrophy.
- Switching to NRTI-sparing regimens may improve fat distribution but can lead to lipid anomalies.
- Facial lipoatrophy treatment options include soft-tissue fillers like poly-l-lactic acid or calcium hydroxylapatite.
- Liposuction has been used to treat dorsocervical lipomatosis.
What are the common mucocutaneous infections associated with advanced HIV disease?
In advanced HIV disease, patients are at risk for several opportunistic infections, including:
- Oral hairy leukoplakia: A benign Epstein-Barr virus infection presenting as corrugated white plaques on the tongue.
- Bacillary angiomatosis: Caused by Bartonella species, presenting as red-to-violaceous papules or nodules.
- Cutaneous tuberculosis: Often presents as disseminated red-brown macules and papules.
- Invasive mycoses: Can arise from local invasion or reactivation of latent infections, often in patients with CD4+ T-cell counts <50 cells/μL.
What is bacillary angiomatosis and how is it treated in HIV patients?
Bacillary angiomatosis is caused by Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana, typically occurring in HIV patients with a CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/μL. It presents as red-to-violaceous dome-shaped papules or nodules. Treatment includes:
- Antibiotics: Erythromycin (500 mg 4x/day) or doxycycline (100 mg BID) for 4 weeks or until lesions resolve.
- Lifelong secondary prevention may be indicated for patients with recurrent bacillary angiomatosis.
What are the clinical features of mycobacterial infections in HIV patients?
Mycobacterial infections in HIV patients include:
- Tuberculosis (TB): The most common opportunistic infection, with cutaneous manifestations being rare. Common presentations include scrofuloderma and cutaneous miliary tuberculosis.
- Miliary tuberculosis: Presents with asymmetric red-brown pinpoint macules and papules, treated with multidrug antituberculosis therapy.
- Non-TB mycobacterial infections: Such as M. avium complex, may disseminate to the skin in immunocompromised individuals.
What are the characteristics of invasive mycoses in advanced HIV disease?
Invasive mycoses in advanced HIV disease may arise from:
- Local invasion of the skin or mucosa with secondary lymphatic or hematogenous dissemination.
- Reactivation of a latent pulmonary focus of infection.
Clinical features include a wide variety of skin lesions such as:
- Cellulitis-like plaques
- Pink or skin-colored nodules
- Deep ulcerations
- Acneiform papules and pustules
- Umbilicated papules resembling molluscum, typically favoring the face and upper trunk.
What is the most common opportunistic infection in HIV, and what are its typical cutaneous manifestations?
Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common opportunistic infection in HIV. Cutaneous manifestations include scrofuloderma, gummatous tuberculosis, and cutaneous miliary tuberculosis.
A patient with HIV presents with red-to-violaceous dome-shaped papules resembling cherry angiomas. What is the likely diagnosis, and what is the causative organism?
The likely diagnosis is bacillary angiomatosis, caused by Bartonella henselae or Bartonella quintana.
What is the significance of bacillary angiomatosis in HIV patients, and how is it treated?
Bacillary angiomatosis is caused by Bartonella species and indicates severe immunosuppression (CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/μL). It is treated with erythromycin or doxycycline.
What are the common fungal pathogens associated with AIDS that can lead to cutaneous infections?
Common fungal pathogens include Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, and Penicillium species, which are significant due to their potential for angioinvasion and high mortality rates in AIDS patients.