2011

primary mutation – see major mutation.

minor mutation – a drug resistance mutation that have a big impact on whether a drug continues to work. This used to be called a secondary mutation.

major mutation – a drug resistance mutation that have a big impact on whether a drug continues to work. This used to be called a primary mutation.

clinical cut-off (CCO) – a test result that is associated with an impact on clinical care. With resistance tests a lower CCO is the level below which a drug is still sensitive or active. This is often set at a …

Intermediate level resistance – when a drug still has some impact on HIV, but when this is reduced (compared to wild-type HIV) because there is some drug resistance.

high level resistance – when an HIV drug no longer works against the virus.

genotype test – a test that looks at how the genetic structure of a sample of HIV and whether the virus has changed with drug resistant mutations.

drug resistant mutation – a mutation or change that occurs in the HIV genome that reduces a drugs ability to work.

DNA – an abbreviation for the scientific word for genes and genetic material. It is the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid. See RNA.

baseline – baseline refers to the start of any period being studied. For someone who is HIV positive, their baseline CD4 and viral load counts are the first tests they ever had taken. For someone entering a study, the baseline …

amino acids – amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. DNA codes for amino acids. Three nucleotides (segments of the genetic code) make one amino acid. Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in the way …

active – an active drug is a drug that still works to reduce viral load. The virus is still sensitive to that drug.

QD (or qd) – a short hand term for medication dosing that means ‘once-daily’. See also q24H.

BD (or bid) – a short hand term for medication dosing that means ‘twice-daily’. See also q12H.

TD (or tid) – a short hand term for medication dosing that means ‘take three times a day’. See also q8H.

Q12H (or q12H) – an abbreviated term for timing medication doses. q8H means every 8 hours.This is not the same as three times a day (tid or TD). q12H means every 12 hours. This is not the same as twice-daily …

codon – the word for the junction on genetic material (DNA or RNA) occupied by three nucleotides (or bases) to form an amino acid. In HIV it is most used when refering to drug resistance. There is an amino acid …

viral tropism see tropism.

tropism – the type of coreceptor used by HIV in order to attach to and then infect a cell. If HIV uses the CCR5 coreceptor on the surface of the a CD4 cell it is called R5-tropic. If it uses …

treatment-naive – someone who has never taken any anti-HIV treatments before. (Note: people who are treatment naive can still be resistant to anti-HIV drugs if they were infected with a drug resistant strain of HIV}.