E
Efficacy -- Strength, effectiveness. The ability of a drug to control or cure an illness. Efficacy should be distinguished from activity, which is limited to a drug's immediate effects on the microbe triggering the disease.
ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) -- A diagnostic test utilizing an enzyme-labeled immunoreactant (antigen or antibody) and an immunosorbent (antigen or antibody bound to a solid support). The most common test used to detect the presence of HIV antibodies in the blood, which are indicative of ongoing HIV infection. One type of ELISA is the preliminary test for HIV antibodies (to detect HIV infection). A positive ELISA test result must be confirmed by another test called a Western Blot.
Encephalitis -- A brain inflammation of viral or other microbial origin. Symptoms include headaches, neck pain, fever, nausea, vomiting and nervous system problems. Several types of opportunistic infections can cause encephalitis.
Endocervical curettage -- The removal of tissue from the inside of the cervix using a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette.
Endometrium -- The mucous membrane that lines the uterus.
Envelope -- The outer covering of a virus, sometimes called the coat.
Enzyme -- A cellular protein whose shape allows it to hold together several other molecules in close proximity to each other. Enzymes in this way are able to induce chemical reactions in other substances with little expenditure of energy and without being changed itself.
Epidemiology -- The branch of medical science that studies the incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population.
Epithelial -- Refers to the cell linings covering most internal and external surfaces of the body and its organs.
Epitope -- A unique molecular shape or sequence carried on a micro-organism that triggers a specific antibody or cellular immune response.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) -- A member of the herpesvirus family that causes one of two kinds of mononucleosis (the other is caused by CMV). It infects the nose and throat and is contagious. It lies dormant in the lymph glands and has been associated with Burkitt's lymphoma (see) and oral hairy leukoplakia (see).
F
Fallopian tubes -- Tubes on each side of the uterus through which an egg moves from the ovaries to the uterus.
Famciclovir (Famvir®) -- A prodrug for an acyclovir-like active compound. It has especially high bioavailability and is an approved therapy for shingles. It is also approved for treatment of genital herpes.
FDA -- The Food and Drug Administration, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the testing of experimental drugs and approves new medical products for marketing based on evidence of safety and efficacy.
First episode of herpes -- The body's first encounter with a particular type of herpes simplex, an event that often produces marked symptoms. There are two types of "first episodes." A primary first episode describes the symptoms that appear in the person who has never been infected with either herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or HSV-2 before. It's sometimes called a "true primary." A nonprimary first episode describes the symptoms that occur in the person who has been infected first with one type of HSV and then later infected with the second. For example, a person who is infected with HSV-1 and then years later infected with HSV-2 can be said to have a "first episode" of HSV-2 when he or she first has symptoms. More information on herpes, or call the National Herpes Hotline at 919-361-8488.
Fomite -- An object, such as a towel, bicycle seat, or an article of clothing, that is not in itself harmful, but is able to harbor pathogenic microorganisms and thus may serve as an agent of transmission for an infection. Many people think fomites can spread STDs, but there are very few documented cases of fomite transmission of any STD.
Fungal Infection -- A range of distinct diseases caused by fungi. Candidiasis, cryptococcosis and histoplasmosis are examples of AIDS-related fungal infections.
G
Ganglion -- A knot-like grouping of the nerves that serve a particular part of the body.
Genital Ulcer Disease (GUD) -- Ulcerative lesions on the genitals, usually caused by a sexually transmitted condition such as herpes, syphilis or chancroid. The presence of genital ulcers may increase the risk of transmitting HIV.
Genital warts -- See HPV
Gonorrhea -- An estimated 1.1 million American men and women each year contract gonorrhea. Many people who are infected show no signs of the disease. When symptoms are present, they are similar to those of chlamydia infections. They usually appear two to five days after sex with an infected partner and include burning during urination and discharge from the penis or vagina. Like chlamydia symptoms, gonorrhea symptoms can be so mild that they go unnoticed, particularly in women. Also like chlamydia, gonorrhea may cause pelvic inflammatory disease if left untreated, resulting in infertility or ectopic pregnancy.
Gonorrhea can cause serious infections in infants who contract the disease from an infected mother during delivery. Complications of gonorrhea include arthritis.
Gram Stain – A technique for preparing material for examination under a microscope. This method is used, for example, in diagnosing gonorrhea.
Granuloma Inguinale -- A sexually transmitted disease caused by Calymmatobacterium granulomatis. Causes ulcerated granulomatous lesions that occur in the inguinal regions and the genitalia.
Gynecologic oncologists -- Doctors who specialize in treating cancers of the female reproductive organs.
Gynecology -- The branch of medicine that involves care of the female reproductive system and breasts.
H
Helper T-cell -- See CD4 Cell.
Hepatitis -- Inflammation of the liver caused by microbes or chemicals. Often accompanied by jaundice, enlarged liver, fever, fatigue and nausea and high levels of liver enzymes in the blood.
Hepatitis A -- A self-limiting virus-induced liver disease. Hepatitis A is acquired through ingesting fecally contaminated water or food or engaging in sexual practices involving anal contact. Injection drug users who share unclean needles also are at risk. There is a vaccine available to prevent hepatitis A.
Hepatitis B - A virus-induced liver disease that infects approximately 73,000 Americans each year. The hepatitis B virus is found in blood, semen, vaginal secretions and saliva. This highly contagious virus is spread through sexual contact, sharing contaminated drug needles, blood transfusions, and piercing the skin with contaminated instruments. Many people with hepatitis B have no symptoms; others experience fever, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. Hepatitis B may damage the liver, putting people at risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer. Most infections clear up by themselves within four to eight weeks. Some individuals (about 10% of the cases), however, become chronically infected.
There is a vaccine available to prevent hepatitis B. Although many public health officials recommend the vaccine for children, adolescents and young adults, it is not widely administered, due in part to the stigmatization of STDs and the cost of the three-part vaccine.
Hepatitis C -- Another virus-induced liver disease. It appears to be more common among heterosexuals and injection drug users than hepatitis B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
Herpes -- While "genital herpes" can cause symptoms in a variety of sites below the waist, the term is used to denote all HSV infection that is latent in the sacral ganglion, at the base of the spine. An estimated 40 million Americans have genital herpes, with 500,000 new cases each year. As many as 90% of people who are infected do not know they have genital herpes, either because they have no symptoms or because their symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed.
Symptoms of the first infection can appear one to 26 days after exposure and last two to three weeks. Symptoms in the genital area include an itching or burning sensation, discharge and blisters or painful open sores. They are sometimes accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as swollen glands and fever. After the first infection, the virus can reactivate and cause new outbreaks of sores. The frequency and severity of recurrences vary from person to person. However, symptoms may also take weeks, months, or years to appear. In a small number of cases, genital herpes is passed from infected mothers to infants during birth, causing serious infection in newborns. This is called neonatal herpes. Click here for more information on herpes, or call the National Herpes Hotline. Click here for a list of HELP (support) groups in your area.
Herpes encephalitis -- A rare, severe illness that occurs when the brain becomes infected with HSV.
Herpes gladiatorum -- The presence of herpes lesions on the body caused by HSV infection that is transmitted usually through the abrasion of skin in a contact sport, such as wrestling.
Herpes whitlow -- The presence of herpes lesions on the fingers or toes.
Herpes Zoster -- See both Shingles and Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV).
Herpesvirus -- Any one of eight known members of the human herpesvirus family that include: herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), varicella zoster virus (VZV), human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6), human herpes virus type 7 (HHV-7), and human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8). Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) can cause "cold sores" or "fever blisters" on the lips, in the mouth or around the eyes; herpes simplex 2 (HSV-2) is usually transmitted sexually and generally causes symptoms in the genital area or the anus.
HHV-6 -- A newly observed agent found in the blood cells (T lymphocytes) of a few patients with a variety of diseases affecting the immune system. This virus causes roseola infantum, a common childhood infection children under 4. Symptoms of roseola infantum include high fever and listlessness followed by a rash.
HHV-7 -- This virus has been identified in the laboratory, but has not been associated with any diseases to date. It infects T-cells, and genetically resembles HHV-6.
HHV-8 -- A recently recognized virus that has notable homology with several known herpesviruses. Detection of HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or HHV-8 antibody seroconversion is associated with an increased risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma.
HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome) -- It is estimated that 600,000 to 900,000 people in the U.S. are infected with HIV, the cause of AIDS. An estimated 45,000 people get AIDS each year. HIV damages the cells in the immune system that fight off infections and diseases. As the virus gradually destroys these important cells, the immune system becomes less and less able to protect against illness. Certain life-threatening infections and cancers can then invade the body, causing serious illness and eventual death. However, HIV can live in an infected person's body for years before any signs of illness appear. The virus is spread through the blood, semen and vaginal secretions of an HIV-infected person. Both men and women can pass HIV to a sex partner. The virus can also be passed from person to person through sharing needles. HIV-infected women can pass the virus to their babies during pregnancy and childbirth. Some people contracted the virus through blood products before a successful screening process was begun in 1985. There is no evidence that HIV can spread through other body fluids such as saliva, feces, urine, tears and sweat. Currently, there is no way to get rid of the virus once a person is infected. However, medications can slow the damage that HIV causes to the immune system.
Individuals with the genital sores resulting from certain STD infections are at increased risk of getting HIV infection during sexual contact with an HIV-infected person. HIV infection can complicate and increase the dangers of other STD infection. Click here for more information about HIV/AIDS.
HIV-1 -- Human immunodeficiency virus type 1, the retrovirus (see) recognized as the agent that induces AIDS.
HIV-2 -- Human immunodeficiency virus type 2, a virus closely related to HIV-1 that also leads to immune suppression. HIV-2 is not as virulent as HIV-1 and is epidemic only in West Africa.
Holistic (Wholistic) Medicine -- Various systems of health protection and restoration, both traditional and modern, that are reputedly based on the body's natural healing powers, the various ways the different tissues affect each other and the influence of the external environment.
Hormone -- An active chemical substance formed in the glands and carried in the blood to other parts of the body where it stimulates or suppresses cell and tissue activity.
HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) -- Human papillomavirus is one of the most common STDs. An estimated 40 million Americans are infected with HPV, with 1 million new cases each year. HPV is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 80 different types. Certain types of HPV cause warts on the hands or feet, while others can cause genital warts on the vulva, vagina, anus, cervix, penis or scrotum. These may be raised or flat, single or multiple, small or large. Some cluster together; some can't be seen by the naked eye (subclinical infection). Often flesh-colored and painless, genital warts only rarely cause symptoms such as itching, pain or bleeding. HPV and genital warts are usually spread by direct, skin-to-skin contact during sex. Warts might appear within several weeks after sex with an infected person, they might take months to appear or they might never appear. Very little is known about the transmission of subclinical HPV infection.
Other types of HPV (not the types that cause genital warts) are strongly linked to cervical cancer. Yearly Pap smears are recommended to detect the abnormal cell growth caused by HPV that may progress to cervical cancer. If detected in time, the progression of cervical HPV can be stopped, and even cervical cancer can usually be treated successfully. Click here for more information on HPV or click here for HPV Support Groups in your area.
HSV -- Abbreviation for herpes simplex virus. HSV-1 denotes herpes simplex type 1, the usual cause of herpes around the mouth or face ("cold sores," "fever blisters"); HSV-2 denotes herpes simplex type 2, the usual cause of recurrent genital herpes. Click here for more information on herpes, or call the National Herpes Hotline. Click here for a list of HELP (support) groups in your area.
Human Papillomavirus -- See HPV.
Hysterectomy -- An operation in which the uterus and cervix are removed.
Hysteroscopy -- A surgical procedure in which a slender, light-transmitting telescope, the hysteroscope, is used to view the inside of the uterus or perform surgery.
I
Immune Deficiency -- A breakdown or inability of certain parts of the immune system to function, thus making a person susceptible to certain diseases that they would have not contracted with a healthy immune system. Immune deficiencies may be temporary or permanent and be triggered by genetic mutation, therapy with immune-suppressive drugs (as during organ transplants) or an infection such as HIV.
Immune System -- The body's complicated natural defense against disruption caused by invading microbes and cancers. There are two aspects of the immune system's response to disease: innate and acquired. The innate part of the response is mobilized very quickly in response to infection and does not depend on recognizing specific proteins or antigens (see) foreign to an individual's normal tissue. It includes complement, macrophages, dendritic cells and granulocytes. The acquired, or learned, immune response arises when dendritic cells and macrophages present pieces of antigen to lymphocytes, which are genetically programmed to recognize very specific amino acid sequences. The ultimate result is the creation of cloned populations of antibody-producing B-cells and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (see) primed to respond to a unique pathogen.
Immunity -- Protection against disease. Immunity can be achieved for hepatitis B through vaccination. Vaccines which can provide immunity from herpes and HPV are being tested.
Immunocompetent -- Refers to an immune system capable of developing a normal protective response when confronted with invading microbes or cancer.
Immunocompromised -- Refers to an immune system in which the response to infections and tumors is subnormal.
Immunosuppression -- Weakening of the immune response that occurs with HIV infection as well as with some antiviral or anticancer treatments.
Immunotherapy -- Treatment aimed at reconstituting an impaired immune system. Examples of experimental immunotherapies for AIDS include passive hyperimmune therapy (PHT), IL-2 and therapeutic vaccines.
Inflammation -- The body's response to tissue injury or infection which occurs in the affected tissues and adjacent blood vessels. The blood vessels' permeability is increased, and the area becomes heavily populated with white blood cells. Signs of inflammation are redness, swelling, pain, and sometimes loss of function. Not all of these signs are necessarily present in any given case.
Informed Consent -- The ability of people receiving experimental therapies to make competent decisions about their medical care. Patients are provided with an "informed consent form," which indicates the potential risks, benefits and alternatives to the therapy in question. If a clinical trial is involved, the trial protocol also is outlined, especially what participants will experience. After reading the informed consent form, individuals sign it to indicate that they understand its contents and agree to proceed with therapy under the conditions it outlines.
Interferon -- A type of biological therapy, treatment that can improve the body's natural response to disease. It slows the rate of growth and division of cancer cells, causing them to become sluggish and die.
Intraepithelial -- Within the layer of cells that forms the surface or lining of an organ.
Intravenous (IV) -- Injected directly into a vein.
Intravenous Pyelogram -- A series of x-rays of the kidneys and bladder. The x-rays are taken after a dye that shows up on x-ray film is injected into a vein. Also called IVP.
Invasive Cervical Cancer -- Cancer that has spread from the surface of the cervix to tissue deeper in the cervix or to other parts of the body.
In Vitro -- Refers to laboratory experiments conducted in cell cultures grown in an artificial environment, for example in a test tube or culture plate.
In Vivo -- Refers to studies conducted within humans or animals, in a living, natural environment.
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