varices – extended or swollen veins in the liver that can burst. They can be a complication of cirrhosis.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
ALT, alanine aminotransferase, also called serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase; SGPT) – a key liver enzyme produced in liver cells. ALT is routinely monitored in HIVpositive people on ARVs to monitor liver toxicity from HIV drugs (or other medications). Increased ALT signals liver injury, but does not indicate how serious liver damage is.
partially active – the HIV treatment in question will work against this virus but this is reduced compared to wild-type HIV. This is the same as partial resistance, or intermediate resistance etc.
IQR (inter-quartile range) – when using (median) average, the IQR gives an indication of the spread or range of results. Each quartile (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) represents 25% of the results. The IQR represents the middle 50% of the results. See also range.
T1/2 (half-life) – the time taken a drug to clear from the highest concentration to half this level. Drugs have different half-lives in different compartments (ie half-life in blood can be different from the half-life inside a cell). It take 5 x the half-live for a drug to be considered cleared.