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Glossary

Selected words and phrases

superinfection – another term for reinfection.

hepatic – relating to the liver, ie hepatitis = liver inflamation, hepatocyte = liver cell etc.

RNA – an abbreviation for the scientific word for genetic material found in some types of viruses. It is the abbreviation for ribonucleic acid. It is very similar to DNA but is single-strand rather than the double-strand in DNA. See DNA.

base – (also called nucleotide) – the building blocks in DNA that form amino acids. There are four bases represented by the letters A (adenine), T (thymine), C (cytosine) and G (guanine). In RNA the T is replaced by U (uricil).

Genetics, HIV structure and life cycle

cross-over study – where patients in a study ‘roll-over’ to a second related study. For example, this can be after a fixed period in a study (ie after 48 weeks) or after another event (for example, not having a treatment response).