ABC | DEF | GHI | JKL | MNO | PQR | STU | VWXYZ

ACTG (AIDS Clinical Trials Group) an organization of the National Institutes of Health that studies new therapies that fight human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

ACTU (AIDS Clinical Trials Unit) a subunit of the ACTG, housed at an accredited research facility, where federally sponsored studies are conducted.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) an advanced form of HIV infection. The designation of AIDS signifies that a person with HIV has a CD4 count below 200 cells/mm3 or an opportunistic infection.

arm (two-, three-) a group of study patients assigned to a particular therapy. For example, a two-arm study involves two different groups of patients receiving two assigned therapies.

antiretroviral drugs a class of drugs that fight viruses, especially HIV.

ART (antiretroviral therapy) a combination of drugs used to fight AIDS.

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B cell a lymphocyte or blood cell that produces antibodies that fight infections.

candidiasis fungal infection of the mouth, vagina or intestinal tract.

CD4 cell (see also T cell) white blood cell that helps direct the body's infection-fighting cells. It is the primary target of HIV.

cells/mm3 (said of CD4 and T cells) cells per millimeter of blood--approximately one drop of blood.

chronic vs. episodic (said of a disease or disorder) occurring consistently versus periodically.

clinical trial study of one or more drugs in people.

cocktail a set combination of drugs.

combination therapy use of two or more drugs to fight HIV.

compassionate use to obtain federal permission to give a patient a drug not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

cross-resistance resistance of HIV to two or more drugs.

crossover study a study in which each patient receives all or some of the test medications.

cytokine expression part of the immune system that can either suppress or transmit HIV.

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double-blind an experimental procedure where neither the doctor nor the patient knows the identity of the people in a study.

drug regimen a combination of drugs used to treat a symptom or disease.

episodic (see chronic)

FDA (Food and Drug Administration) a federal organization that oversees safety and approval of food and drugs for people in the United States.

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HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) a strain of virus that inhibits the human immune system from fighting certain infections and diseases.

human interleukin (see interleukin)

IL (see interleukin)

immune system a network of organs and cells in the body that recognizes and fights bacteria and viruses.

immunology the study of the immune system. In AIDS, the study of strengthening the human immune system by increasing the number of T cells (or CD4 cells).

induction therapy initial treatment against an infection or disease.

interleukin a class of cytokine expression (see cytokine expression).

IV (intravenous) injection of a drug with a needle into the skin.

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loading dose administering a large dose of a substance into the body to test tolerable capacity.

MAC (Mycobacterium avium complex) a genus of bacterium responsible for causing tuberculosis, often seen in late-stage AIDS patients.

monotherapy treating an infection or disease with one drug or agent. Conventional wisdom now says that monotherapy for treatment against AIDS has a better chance of developing mutant or resistant strains of HIV (see combination therapy).

multicenter clinical trials that are sponsored nationwide and internationally.

naive patients who haven't yet started a drug or regimen to fight an infection or disease.

NIH (National Institutes of Health) a federal organization that oversees most health-related practices and procedures in the United States.

OI (see opportunistic infection)

open-label a study in which both the investigator and patient know who is taking the drug being studied--usually said of studies without placebo-control.

opportunistic infection an infection in immune-suppressed people that can otherwise be fought by healthy immune systems.

oropharyngeal of the mouth and throat.

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phase I an initial study to evaluate the safety of a drug in a single dose in a small group of people.

phase II a study evaluating the effectiveness and tolerable dose of a drug in a small group of patients with the same disease.

phase III a double-blind study designed to determine the effectiveness and safety profile of a particular drug in a large group of people.

phase IV a surveillance study that further details the safety and effectiveness of a particular drug--usually the last phase of a treatment before it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

PI (see principal investigator)

placebo-controlled a study that gives a harmless imitation of a drug to a designated number of people as a reference for others taking the drug being studied.

principal investigator a medical expert responsible for the conduct of a particular clinical trial at a particular site.

prophylaxis measures designed to preserve health and prevent the spread of disease.

protease inhibitor a class of antiretroviral drugs that slows or inhibits reproduction of HIV.

randomize to randomly place volunteers into subgroups, especially to place into a placebo versus drug arm of a study.

real time testing process and analysis of a specimen, such as blood, immediately after collection. In AIDS, real time testing pertains to T cell count and viral load.

rebounding a rapid increase in viral load of a person with HIV.

recombinant (as with human interleukin) the formation of new combinations of genes that did not occur in the parents.

regimen a drug or combination of drugs prescribed to treat an infection or disease.

replication reproduction of a virus inside an infected cell.

resistance a strain of HIV not sensitive to or effected by a particular drug.

reverse transcriptase inhibitor (nucleoside, non-nucleoside) a class of antiretroviral drugs that slows replication of HIV by inhibiting an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. RT converts viral RNA into human DNA, then fuses itself to an immune cell.

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side effect unwanted, sometimes harmful, backlash of a drug.

single-blind a study in which the investigator, and not the patient, knows which study patients are taking placebo and which are taking the drug being tested.

sponsor an organization--usually a pharmaceutical company or the government--responsible for the conduct of a particular study or clinical trial.

subcutaneous below the skin--said of medicines injected with a needle into the skin.

T cell a blood cell called a lymphocyte, a helper cell that controls the initiation or suppression of the human immune system.

thrush a fungal infection usually in the mouth.

TNF (tumor necrosis factor)

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vaccine a preparation of dead microorganisms given to people so they can produce or artificially increase their immunity to a particular disease.

viral load the amount of virus in the bloodstream, especially the amount of HIV.

virology the study of viruses, particularly the level of HIV in an infected person's bloodstream.

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