HIV Concept Map

Suproblem #1

Can nonprogressors be implemented in a long term solution to HIV/AIDS?

If nonprogressors are researched and experimented on, then a long term solution can be provided to alleviate the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Basic Research

How does the immune system respond to HIV/AIDS?

Select 100 HIV positive patients from a database of two hospitals and compare the history of ARVT and CD4 levels using statistics tests (patients with steady CD4 counts below the normal level or patients who have had CD4 counts below the normal level at one point). Analyze the results of the comparison between patients to see if they are LTNP patients based on if the maintain a certain CD4 level or less over a long period of time. Patients on the extreme side of non progression of HIV/AIDS (LTNPs) are then going to be studied and their genomes will be sequenced and compared with those of normal HIV patients. Compare genomes of the two different groups using statistical tests to see if the effect of nonprogressors is statistically significant.

If someone is infected with HIV, then his/her helper T-Cells will attempt to eradicate the virus, but they will be unsuccessful.

Find 5-7 credible sources which thoroughly explain the topic, and compile the data from these sources to come to a conclusion to the question.

Subproblem #3

Does ARVT help treat cellular inflammation faced by LNTPs?

As LNTPs often experience underlying inflammation in the absence of ARVT, if LNTPs are treated with ARVT, it will reduce this underlying inflammation.

Overall Question

What is the best way to treat HIV?

Gather 10 LNTP (including 5 ECs) and 10 HIV-free volunteers (control). Ensure all volunteers have no other health conditions and that they have all been infected with HIV-1 for a similar length of time. Also, ensure that the ages do not vary by more than 3 years. Note down each patient’s list of treatments, medications, background and history, age, gender, and race. Give each volunteer a combination of Isentress (raltegravir) and Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) for 24 weeks. Ensure that they take them in the right doses. Every week, evaluate them all on the same day. Conduct a blood test to look for plasma HIV-1 DNA and gut-associated lymphoid tissue proviral DNA levels. Look for a drop, rise, or no correlation between the ARVT and the DNA levels in the cells. Lower levels correlate with less cellular inflammation.

Subproblem #2

Do LNTPs and ECs, in the absence of ARVT, face greater risk of cardiovascular disease?

HIV Concept Map

Though LNTPs experience very slow HIV-1 disease progression and ECs are almost unaffected by the virus, HIV-1 has adverse effects on the body as it is still active and will cause underlying inflammation, notably greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

Gather 10 LNTP (including 5 ECs) and 10 HIV-free volunteers (control). Ensure all volunteers have no other health conditions and that they have all been infected with HIV-1 for a similar length of time. Also, ensure that the ages do not vary by more than 3 years. Note down each patient’s list of treatments, medications, background and history, age, gender, and race. Evaluate the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) of each patient using ultrasound machines. Evaluate them all at the same day. Also, evaluate each patient for the following blood markers: soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor type 2 (sTNF-RII), LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), and HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) by taking blood samples using sterile syringes for each individual. Compare all of these values. Higher LDL and sTNF-RII levels in the blood and lower HDL concentrations are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Lower IMTs also are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.