Comments on: Why Should We Care About AIDS? http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/ Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:31:15 +0000 hourly 1 By: Amy http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12751 Amy Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:53:40 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12751 Thanks Melissa! Great response! Yes, that term you shared is correct...idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia and I agree with your other thoughts on causes of a low CD4 count. The children, parents and caregivers in our programs have access to the tests that they need..though not always the viral load tests as that technology is sometimes harder to access in rural locations. Thanks to you both for the good dialogue. And for other feedback...Frank, Natasha, Anurag and Jo Ann! Amy Thanks Melissa!

Great response!

Yes, that term you shared is correct…idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia and I agree with your other thoughts on causes of a low CD4 count.

The children, parents and caregivers in our programs have access to the tests that they need..though not always the viral load tests as that technology is sometimes harder to access in rural locations. Thanks to you both for the good dialogue. And for other feedback…Frank, Natasha, Anurag and Jo Ann!

Amy

]]> By: Amy http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12750 Amy Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:44:19 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12750 Hi Kees- Thanks again for your questions. You point out something that I did not make clear enough in the writing. I apologize. To be diagnosed with AIDS, one must first be diagnosed as having an HIV infection. A person with an HIV infection can then be classified as having AIDS if the CD4 cells drop below around 300 cells/mm3 or if other designated clinical signs are present. On rare occasions, there are other things that can cause the CD4 cells to stay low and this may have the same effect as it does on a person with AIDS...that is, their immune system is compromised and more susceptible to infection. Thanks again. Let me know if this helps! Amy Hi Kees-
Thanks again for your questions. You point out something that I did not make clear enough in the writing. I apologize. To be diagnosed with AIDS, one must first be diagnosed as having an HIV infection. A person with an HIV infection can then be classified as having AIDS if the CD4 cells drop below around 300 cells/mm3 or if other designated clinical signs are present. On rare occasions, there are other things that can cause the CD4 cells to stay low and this may have the same effect as it does on a person with AIDS…that is, their immune system is compromised and more susceptible to infection. Thanks again. Let me know if this helps!
Amy

]]> By: Melissa http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12747 Melissa Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:59:45 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12747 Kees, I'm not Amy, but I'll take a stab at your questions. A CD4 count low enough to be defined as AIDS is highly unlikely to be caused by anything but HIV infection/AIDS. The other causes would usually be obvious (deliberate immune suppression for organ transplant, etc). There are very rare congenital conditions that cause someone to be born without being able to produce CD4 cells properly, but these children usually die very young (think the boy in the bubble). The scientific literature does refer to a condition that I can't remember the exact name of now, but is something like idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia (CD4 cell loss of unknown cause), but these cases were largely described when HIV testing was not either non-existent or not as sensitive as it is today and I think that most people believe that these were undiagnosed AIDS cases. In the US at least, AIDS diagnosis requires the presence of antibodies to HIV (that gives you HIV+ status). HIV+ status is always confirmed with a second different test if the screening test comes up positive, so false positives are pretty rare. After someone is known positive, both viral load (the amount of HIV in the blood) and the number of CD4+ cells are tracked to follow disease progression. I assume in Compassion assisted countries, there are fewer resources for this kind of surveillance, so I'm not sure how these children are diagnosed or their disease progression is tracked. Kees, I’m not Amy, but I’ll take a stab at your questions.

A CD4 count low enough to be defined as AIDS is highly unlikely to be caused by anything but HIV infection/AIDS. The other causes would usually be obvious (deliberate immune suppression for organ transplant, etc). There are very rare congenital conditions that cause someone to be born without being able to produce CD4 cells properly, but these children usually die very young (think the boy in the bubble).

The scientific literature does refer to a condition that I can’t remember the exact name of now, but is something like idiopathic CD4 lymphopenia (CD4 cell loss of unknown cause), but these cases were largely described when HIV testing was not either non-existent or not as sensitive as it is today and I think that most people believe that these were undiagnosed AIDS cases.

In the US at least, AIDS diagnosis requires the presence of antibodies to HIV (that gives you HIV+ status). HIV+ status is always confirmed with a second different test if the screening test comes up positive, so false positives are pretty rare. After someone is known positive, both viral load (the amount of HIV in the blood) and the number of CD4+ cells are tracked to follow disease progression. I assume in Compassion assisted countries, there are fewer resources for this kind of surveillance, so I’m not sure how these children are diagnosed or their disease progression is tracked.

]]> By: Chris Giovagnoni http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12746 Chris Giovagnoni Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:10:19 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12746 Anurag, Yes. Please use the post as you like. Anurag,

Yes. Please use the post as you like.

]]> By: Frank Obonyo PF CI-UG http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12744 Frank Obonyo PF CI-UG Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:32:49 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12744 Hi Amy, this is such a challenging well written piece and so simple to understand. I have forwarded it to all ICPs I facilitate. Hi Amy, this is such a challenging well written piece and so simple to understand. I have forwarded it to all ICPs I facilitate.

]]> By: Anurag http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12743 Anurag Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:26:06 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12743 @Chris I work at a Compassion Country office. This write-up is good for sending to projects so that the children as well as the partners can observe Dec 1st more meaningfully. Do let me know... God bless :) @Chris
I work at a Compassion Country office. This write-up is good for sending to projects so that the children as well as the partners can observe Dec 1st more meaningfully. Do let me know…
God bless :)

]]> By: Kees Boer http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12735 Kees Boer Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:22:39 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12735 Hi, Amy, Now, I have two other questions based on that. So, could somebody get AIDS through stress or another infection? If not, could AIDS be misdiagnosed, that they think it is AIDS, but really, the real problem is stress or some other infection. Thanks for helping me understand this. Hi, Amy,

Now, I have two other questions based on that.

So, could somebody get AIDS through stress or another infection?

If not, could AIDS be misdiagnosed, that they think it is AIDS, but really, the real problem is stress or some other infection.

Thanks for helping me understand this.

]]> By: Amy http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12733 Amy Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:23:24 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12733 Hello Kees! Thank you so much for your feedback. You've asked a great question. A decline is CD4 count is often attributed to a progressive HIV infection resulting in AIDS, but not always. Stress and other infections can also cause this. Does that help? Amy Hello Kees!
Thank you so much for your feedback. You’ve asked a great question. A decline is CD4 count is often attributed to a progressive HIV infection resulting in AIDS, but not always. Stress and other infections can also cause this. Does that help?
Amy

]]> By: JoAnn Metzger http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12731 JoAnn Metzger Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:02:48 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12731 Great job Amy. I am proud of you as always! Great job Amy. I am proud of you as always!

]]> By: Natasha http://blog.compassion.com/why-should-we-care-about-aids/comment-page-1/#comment-12727 Natasha Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:09:56 +0000 http://blog.compassion.com/?p=9161#comment-12727 This is one of the best informational pieces on HIV/AIDS I have ever read. Thank you! This is one of the best informational pieces on HIV/AIDS I have ever read. Thank you!

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