Glossary

reinfection – catching HIV a second time. When an HIV-positive becomes infected with second strain or type of HIV. Sometimes called superinfection.

Hodgkins disease (HD) – a type of lymphoma (lymph cancer).

Cancer: lymphoma and sarcoma

carcinoma – cancer in tissues covering or lining organs of the body, such as the skin, the uterus, the lung, or the breast.

IRIS (immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome) – illnesses that occur when HIV treatment is started when the CD4 count is very low.

IRIS occurs because the immune system quickly becomes stronger and identifies infections that it was previously too weak to fight.

IRIS can occur in 1 in 4 (25%) people who start with a CD4 count under 50 cells/mm³.

Although the symtoms are serious, IRIS can usually be easily managed.

Common infections related to IRIS include TB and CMV.

long-term non-progressor (LTNP) – An HIV positive person whose CD4 count stays above 500 copies/mm³ with very low viral load for more than five years, without using ART.

Some LTNPs have kept their CD4 count above 500 for more than 10-15 years without ART. Recent guidelines suggest the LTNPs should still strongly consider using ART. This is because ongoing HIV replication is still likely to increase the risk of serious illnesses, even at low viral load levels,

Because CD4 counts gradually fall in LTNPs, just very slowly, a more accurate term is long-term slow-progressors (LTSPs).

Elite controllers (ECs) are a sub-group of LTSP who also maintain undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) without ART. See: elite controller.