Laboratory results indicate that the viral load of a newly diagnosed, untreated HIV-infected client has stabilized. The nurse explains to the patient that:

Question

A) he has primary HIV infection.
B) he is experiencing seroconversion.
C) he has reached the viral set point.
D) he has chronic HIV.

Answer 1

C) he has reached the viral set point.

Explanation: A) Primary HIV infection is a nonspecific, acute syndrome that occurs 2-4 weeks after viral infection and lasts for 1-2 weeks. Because an effective immune response has not yet been mounted, viral titers are typically very high.
B) Seroconversion occurs when neutralizing antibodies appear, generally within a few weeks to a few months after infection. The period between infection and the appearance of neutralizing antibodies is called the window period.
C) In untreated individuals, the viral load tends to stabilize approximately 6 months after infection. This stable viral load is known as the viral set point, and higher levels have been shown to correlate with rapid CD4+ T-lymphocyte depletion and subsequent disease progression.
D) After the acute infection subsides, most individuals show no clinical manifestations of HIV infection for several years, even in the absence of treatment. However, during this prolonged asymptomatic period of chronic disease, HIV actively replicates, and there is an intense reduction in the half-life of circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes.