| AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection. The | | | | 5 years of live. PCP (Pneumocystis carinii (jiroveci) |
| criteria of AIDS include HIV infection with fewer | | | | pneumonia) is a common cause of death in |
| than 200 CD4 positive T cells per cubic millimeter | | | | AIDS.Tuberculosis (TB) in AIDS is often multi-drug |
| of blood (norm is more than 1,000), and two | | | | resistant. Tuberculosis in AIDS may affect bone |
| dozens of opportunistic infections, which rarely | | | | marrow, bone, kidney, bladder, guts, liver, lymph |
| affect normal people. Opportunistic means that | | | | nodes, brain and spine. It is also more severe in |
| the infection took opportunity of the weakened | | | | lungs than usual.Oesophagitis (inflammation of |
| immune system. AIDS-related infections are often | | | | esophagus) is common. Chronic diarrhea in HIV |
| very severe and caused by unusual bacteria, | | | | infection is caused by Salmonella, Shigella, Listeria, |
| viruses, fungi, and parasites.Symptoms of AIDS | | | | Campylobacter Escherichia coli, parasites, which |
| include:* Weight loss | | | | happen in normal people.Cryptosporidiosis, |
| * Energy loss | | | | Microsporidiosis, Mycobacterium avium complex |
| * Diarrhea | | | | and cytomegalovirus are rarely if ever seen in |
| * Persistent fever | | | | healthy people. However they are common in |
| * Cough | | | | HIV. Diarrhea also explains significant body wasting |
| * Shortness of breath | | | | in AIDS. Neural system is often affected by |
| * Seizures | | | | parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It infects brain, eyes |
| * Painful swallowing | | | | and lungs.JC virus causes progressive multifocal |
| * Confusion | | | | leukoencephalopathy that leads to destruction of |
| * Forgetfulness | | | | brain cell connections. It happens only in severely |
| * Vision problems | | | | weakened immune deficiency. HIV Infected brain |
| * Persistent headaches | | | | macrophages produce neurotoxins that lead to |
| * Children have severe forms of typically | | | | dementia and encephalopathy.Cryptococcus is an |
| childhood infections of eyes, ears and throat.AIDS | | | | opportunistic parasite that causes meningitis |
| patients often develop Kaposi's sarcoma (round | | | | (inflammation of brain covering tissue). Fevers, |
| brown, reddish, or purple blots on skin) and | | | | headache, fatigue, vomiting, seizures and |
| cervical cancer (in women).Lymphoma is also a | | | | confusion often develop.Citomegalovirus may |
| common condition. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated | | | | cause colitis (bowel inflammation) and retinitis (an |
| herpes virus, human papillomavirus and Epstein | | | | eye layer inflammation) that leads to blindness. |
| -Barr virus are the causative agents. Without | | | | Penicillium fungi also cause opportunistic infections |
| antiretroviral therapy, AIDS patent die in a year | | | | especially in Asia.Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD. |
| commonly.Antiretroviral therapy gives more than | | | | |