- Industry: Library & information science
- Number of terms: 152252
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, is the world's largest medical library. The Library collects materials and provides information and research services in all areas of biomedicine and health care.
A laboratory test that measures the number of CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) in a sample of blood. In people with HIV, the CD4 count is the most important laboratory indicator of immune function and the strongest predictor of HIV progression. The CD4 count is one of the factors used to determine when to start antiretroviral therapy (ART). The CD4 count is also used to monitor response to ART.
Industry:Health care
A laboratory test that measures the volume of red blood cells in whole blood. Hematocrit is normally ordered as part of a complete blood count.
Industry:Health care
A laboratory test to detect the presence of HIV antibodies in the blood, oral fluid, or urine. The immune system responds to HIV infection by producing HIV antibodies. A positive result on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) must be confirmed by a second, different antibody test (a positive Western blot) for a person to be definitively diagnosed with HIV infection.
Industry:Health care
A laboratory test to detect the presence of HIV antibodies in the blood, oral fluid, or urine. The immune system responds to HIV infection by producing HIV antibodies. A positive result on an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) must be confirmed by a second, different antibody test (a positive Western blot) for a person to be definitively diagnosed with HIV infection.
Industry:Health care
A large cell-like structure that forms when many cells fuse together. Syncytia can form during viral infection. In some people with HIV, syncytia formation has been linked to more rapid progression of HIV infection.
Industry:Health care
A large clinical trials network that evaluates treatments for HIV-infected children and adolescents and that develops new therapeutic approaches for preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Originally an independent network, Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) investigators are now merged with the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Group.
Industry:Health care
A large group of lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system). The many types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are classified according to how fast the cancer spreads. Although the symptoms of NHLs vary, they often include swollen lymph nodes, fever, and weight loss. Certain types of NHLs, such as Burkitt lymphoma and immunoblastic lymphoma, are AIDS-defining cancers in people with HIV.
Industry:Health care
A large molecule made up of a series of peptides—one or more long chains of amino acids. The specific sequence of the amino acids determines the protein’s structure and function. Proteins are essential to all living organisms.
Industry:Health care
A life-threatening allergic reaction to a drug. Hypersensitivity syndrome is characterized by fever, rash, organ involvement (most frequently the liver), and high blood levels of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell). Use of certain antiretroviral (ARV) drugs may cause hypersensitivity syndrome.
Industry:Health care
A life-threatening infection caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, which infects the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include fever, malaise, and headache. Cryptococcal meningitis most often affects people with weakened immune systems, including people with HIV. In people with HIV, cryptococcal meningitis is an AIDS-defining condition.
Industry:Health care
