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AIDS-HIV Related Terms

- N -

  • Nadir

  • The lowest level to which viral load falls after starting antiretroviral treatment. Studies have shown that the nadir of the viral load is the best predictor of long-term viral suppression.

  • NAT

  • See Nucleic Acid Test.

  • National AIDS Hotline

  • See CDC National AIDS Hotline.

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  • An institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the overall mission of conducting and supporting research, training, and disseminating health information with respect to the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. NCI also performs these functions for HIV-related cancers. Internet address

  • National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

  • An NIH institute that conducts and supports research to study the causes of allergic, immunologic, and infectious diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing, and treating illnesses. NIAID is responsible for the federally funded, national basic research program in AIDS. It supports basic research, epidemiology, and natural history studies; blood screening tests; drug discovery and development; vaccine development and testing; and treatment studies, some directly and some through contracts and cooperative agreements with other institutions. It administers the networks of the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG) and the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group testing units at hospitals around the country. NIAID also administers the Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS (CPCRA), a community-based network of AIDS treatment research centers. Internet address

  • National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development (NICHD)

  • An NIH institute that conducts and supports research on the reproductive, developmental, and behavioral processes that determine the health of children, adults, families, and populations. Thus, NICHD supports clinical research related to the transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their offspring, the progression of disease in HIV-infected infants and children, and the testing of potential therapies and preventatives for this population. Internet address

  • National Institutes Of Health (NIH)

  • A multi-institute agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is the federal focal point for health research. It conducts research in its own laboratories and supports research in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout this country and abroad. Internet address

  • National Library Of Medicine (NLM)

  • An NIH institute, NLM is the world's largest medical library. The library collects materials in all areas of biomedicine and health care, as well as works on biomedical aspects of technology, the humanities, and the physical, life, and social sciences. In the HIV/AIDS area, NLM provides electronic and print information services, including the online services AIDSLINE, AIDSTRIALS, and AIDSDRUGS. Internet address

  • National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)

  • See CDC National Prevention Information Network.

  • Natural History Study

  • Study of the natural development of something (such as an organism or a disease) over a period of time.

  • Natural Killer Cells (NK CELLS)

  • A type of lymphocyte. Like cytotoxic T cells, NK cells attack and kill tumor cells and protect against a wide variety of infectious microbes. They are 'natural' killers because they do not need additional stimulation or need to recognize a specific antigen in order to attack and kill. Persons with immunodeficiencies such as those caused by HIV infection have a decrease in natural killer cell activity. See Antigen; B Lymphocytes; T Cells; Null Cell.

  • NCI

  • See National Cancer Institute.

  • NDA

  • See New Drug Application.

  • Nebulized

  • See Aerosolized.

  • NEF

  • (nef) One of the regulatory genes of HIV. Three HIV regulatory genes-tat, rev, and nef-and three so-called auxiliary genes-vif, vpr, and vpu-contain information necessary for the production of proteins that control the virus; ability to infect a cell, produce new copies of itself, or cause disease. See rev; tat.

  • Neonatal

  • Concerning the first 6 weeks of life after birth.

  • Neoplasm

  • An abnormal and uncontrolled growth of tissue; a tumor.

  • Nephrotoxic

  • Poisonous to the kidneys.

  • Neuralgia

  • A sharp, shooting pain along a nerve pathway.

  • Neurological Complications Of AIDS

  • See Central Nervous System (CNS) Damage.

  • Neuropathy

  • The name given to a group of disorders involving nerves. Symptoms range from a tingling sensation or numbness in the toes and fingers to paralysis. It is estimated that 35% of persons with HIV disease have some form of neuropathy. See Peripheral Neuropathy.

  • Neutralization

  • The process by which an antibody binds to specific antigens, thereby 'neutralizing' the microorganism.

  • Neutralizing Antibody

  • An antibody that keeps a virus from infecting a cell, usually by blocking receptors on the cell or the virus.

  • Neutralizing Domain

  • The section of the HIV envelope protein, gp120, that elicits antibodies with neutralizing activities.

  • Neutropenia

  • An abnormal decrease in the number of neutrophils (the most common type of white blood cells) in the blood. The decrease may be relative or absolute. Neutropenia may also be associated with HIV infection or may be drug induced.

  • Neutrophil

  • A type of white blood cell (leukocyte) that engulfs and kills foreign micro-organisms such as bacteria.

  • New Drug Application (NDA)

  • An application submitted by the manufacturer of a drug to the FDA after clinical trials have been completed, for a license to market the drug for a specified indication.

  • Niaid

  • See National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

  • Nichd

  • See National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

  • Night Sweat

  • Extreme sweating during sleep. Although they can occur with other conditions, night sweats are also a symptom of HIV disease.

  • NIH

  • See National Institutes of Health.

  • Nk Cell

  • See Natural Killer Cells.

  • NLM

  • See National Library of Medicine.

  • Nnrti

  • See Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors.

  • Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL)

  • A lymphoma made up of B cells and characterized by nodular or diffuse tumors that may appear in the stomach, liver, brain, and bone marrow of persons with HIV. After Kaposi's Sarcoma, NHL is the most common opportunistic cancer in persons with AIDS.

  • Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTI)

  • A group of structurally diverse compounds that bind to the catalytic site of HIV-1's reverse transcriptase. They are quite specific; unlike the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, the NNRTIs have no activity against HIV-2. As noncompetitive inhibitors of reverse transcriptase, their antiviral activity is additive or synergistic with most other antiretroviral agents. However drug-drug interactions may dictate dosage adjustments with protease inhibitors.

  • Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)

  • A classification of drugs called nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs reduce inflammation and are used to treat arthritis and mild to moderate pain.

  • NRTI

  • See Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor.

  • Nucleic Acid

  • Organic substance found in all living cells, in which the hereditary information is stored and from which it can be transferred. Nucleic acid molecules are long chains that generally occur in combination with proteins. The two chief types are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), found mainly in cell nuclei, and RNA (ribonucleic acid), found mostly in cytoplasm. See Gene; Genetic Engineering; Mutation.

  • Nucleic Acid Test

  • A technology that allows detection of very small amounts of genetic material (DNA or RNA) in blood, plasma and tissue. A Nucleic Acid Test can detect any number of viruses in blood or blood products , thereby better assuring the safety of the blood supply.

  • Nucleocapsid

  • The viral genome is surrounded by a protein coating or shell called the capsid. The genome plus the capsid is called the nucleocapsid.

  • Nucleoli

  • Bodies in the nucleus that become enlarged during protein synthesis and contain the DNA template for ribosomal RNA. See Ribonucleic Acid; Ribosome.

  • Nucleoside

  • A building block of nucleic acids, DNA, or RNA, the genetic material found in living organisms. Nucleosides are nucleotides without the phosphate groups.

  • Nucleoside Analog

  • An artificial copy of a nucleoside. When incorporated into the DNA or RNA of a virus during viral replication, the nucleoside analog acts to prevent production of new virus. Nucleoside analogs may take the place of natural nucleosides, blocking the completion of a viral DNA chain during infection of a new cell by HIV. The HIV enzyme reverse transcriptase is more likely to incorporate the nucleoside analogs into the DNA it is constructing than is the DNA polymerase normally used for DNA creation in cell nuclei.

  • Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTI)

  • A nucleoside analog antiretroviral drug whose chemical structure constitutes a modified version of a natural nucleoside. These compounds suppress replication of retroviruses by interfering with the reverse transcriptase enzyme. The nucleoside analogs cause premature termination of the proviral (viral precursor) DNA chain. All NRTIs require phosphorylation in the host's cells prior to their incorporation into the viral DNA.

  • Nucleotide

  • Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids, DNA, and RNA. Nucleotides are composed of phosphate groups, a five-sided sugar molecule (ribose sugars in RNA, deoxyribose sugars in DNA), and nitrogen-containing bases. These fall into two classes: pyrimidines and purines. A nucleotide without its phosphate group is called a nucleoside.

  • Nucleotide Analogs

  • Nucleotide analogs are drugs that are structurally related to nucleotides; they are chemically altered to inhibit production or activity of disease-causing proteins. The chemical structures of these drugs may cause them to replace natural nucleotides in the viral DNA nucleic acid sequence. Nucleotide analogs do not require as much phosphorylation in the host's cells as the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors to become active drugs.

  • Nucleus

  • The central controlling body within a living cell, usually a spherical unit enclosed in a membrane and containing genetic codes for maintaining the life systems of the organism and for issuing commands for growth and reproduction. The nucleus of a cell is essential to such cell functions as reproduction and protein synthesis.

  • Null Cell

  • A lymphocyte that develops in the bone marrow and lacks the characteristic surface markers of the B and T lymphocytes. Null cells represent a small proportion of the lymphocyte population. Stimulated by the presence of antibody, null cells can attack certain cellular targets directly and are known as natural killer (NK) cells.


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AIDS HIV Terms


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