SMi Source Lesson HIV: Viral Load, CD4 Cells, and Mutations

  • SMi Source lesson HIV: Viral Load, CD4 Cells, and Mutations has the following microlearning topics

    • 1. Leukocytes

    2. Mutations

  • Lesson HIV: Viral Load, CD4 Cells, and Mutations teaches these concepts

    • HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, CD4 and Viral Load Animation Review: Interactivity

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, Leukocytes and Helper T CD4 Cells

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, HIV Life Cycle

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, HIV Infection

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, CD4 Cell Count

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, HIV Viral Load

    HIV Viral Load and CD4 Cells, Leukocytes, Antiretroviral Therapy

  • Lesson HIV: Viral Load, CD4 Cells, and Mutations addresses these key points

    • HIV infection

    • Drug therapy regimens affects disease progression
    • Without drug therapy, CD4 cell count will eventually decrease, viral load will increase 
    • Immune cells loss will disable the immune system and normally benign infections can cause death
    • Drug therapy decreases the viral load
    • HIV can become resistant to drugs
    • If HIV is resistant to a drug therapy, the drugs are ineffective at reducing the viral load

     

    White blood cells help fight infections such as HIV.

    • Leukocyte: White blood cell

    Helper T/CD4 cells regulate the activities of other immune cells.

    HIV binds to CD4.

    HIV Life Cycle

    • Viral particles fuse with the host cell.
    • Reverse transcriptase transcribes viral RNA into DNA.
    • Viral DNA enters the nucleus and integrates into the host’s chromosomal DNA.
    • Viral DNA is transcribed into RNA.
    • Viral RNA is translated into proteins.
    • Immature viral particles assemble and bud from the host cell.
    • Protease cleaves proteins to form mature HIV particles.
    • More helper T/CD4 cells are infected.

    HIV Infection causes T cells to undergo apoptosis.

    • Apoptosis: A form of cell death

    Helper T/CD4 cell numbers help determine HIV disease progression.

    • CD4 cell count: The number of helper T/CD4 cells in a milliliter of blood

    HIV Viral Load

    • High viral loads may result in faster disease progression
    • Tests that measure viral load detect viral RNA.

    Antiretroviral Therapy

    • High viral loads and low CD4 cell counts indicate antiviral therapy may be needed.
    • Effective treatment plans reduce viral load and increase CD4 cell counts
    • Over time antiretroviral drugs may select for drug-resistant HIV strains

  • Lesson HIV: Viral Load, CD4 Cells, and Mutations introduces and defines these terms

    • Leukocyte: White blood cell

    Apoptosis: A form of cell death

    CD4 cell count: The number of helper T/CD4 cells in a mililiter of blood

    Viral load: A measure of the number of HIV particles