Where does HIV/AIDS come from for staters?  Here is the history we have learned over the years about this virus:

Well the Aids Institute states “Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Over decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of the world.

The earliest known case of infection with HIV-1 in a human was detected in a blood sample collected in 1959 from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (How he became infected is not known.) Genetic analysis of this blood sample suggested that HIV-1 may have stemmed from a single virus in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

We know that the virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s. From 1979–1981 rare types of pneumonia, cancer, and other illnesses were being reported by doctors in Los Angeles and New York among a number of male patients who had sex with other men. These were conditions not usually found in people with healthy immune systems.

In 1982 public health officials began to use the term “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,” or AIDS, to describe the occurrences of opportunistic infections, Kaposi’s sarcoma (a kind of cancer), and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in previously healthy people. Formal tracking (surveillance) of AIDS cases began that year in the United States.

What is the actual virus causing AIDS?

In 1983, scientists discovered the virus that causes AIDS. The virus was at first named HTLV-III/LAV (human T-cell lymphotropic virus-type III/lymphadenopathy-associated virus) by an international scientific committee. This name was later changed to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

For many years scientists theorized as to the origins of HIV and how it appeared in the human population, most believing that HIV originated in other primates. Then in 1999, an international team of researchers reported that they had discovered the origins of HIV-1, the predominant strain of HIV in the developed world. A subspecies of chimpanzees native to west equatorial Africa had been identified as the original source of the virus. The researchers believe that HIV-1 was introduced into the human population when hunters became exposed to infected blood.”

HIV is a lenti virus which is a subgroup of the retrovirus.

For starters HIV affects the white blood cells (WBCs) in this sense:

We have types of WBC’s and one type is called CD4. That is the cell the HIV binds to when it gets in your blood stream. Another name for them is T-helper cells. CD4 cells are made in the spleen, lymph nodes, and thymus gland, which are part of the lymph or infection-fighting system. CD4 cells move throughout your body, helping to identify and destroy germs such as bacteria and viruses.  Without going into specific medical terminology there is replication of this virus in the DNA and RNA killing out the normal white blood cell type of CD4 and other things like macrophages which are reproduced into CD4 cells with the virus with the body not knowing or able to detect this error in DNA and RNA of the CD4 white blood cells which ending line allows the immunity to go down. Remember the HIV virus binds to the surface of the CD4 cells. The virus entering CD4 cells now allows them to become a part of CD4 replicated cells regarding their make up due to changes made in the DNA and RNA cause the virus has invaded the bloodstream. As CD4 cells multiply to fight infection, they also make more copies of HIV now. Continuing to replicate, leading to a gradual decline of CD4 cells in decreasing that individuals immunity to infection.

The 2 types of HIV:

There are two types of HIV that have been characterized: HIV-1 and HIV-2.

HIV-1 is the virus that was initially discovered and termed both LAV and HTLV-III. It is more virulent, more infective and is the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally. The lower infectivity of HIV-2 compared to HIV-1 implies that fewer of those exposed to HIV-2 will be infected per exposure. Because of its relatively poor capacity for transmission, HIV-2 is largely confined to West Africa.

What is CD4 and how it helps the doctor:

The CD4 count measures the number of CD4 cells in a sample of your blood drawn by a needle from a vein in your arm. Along with other tests, the CD4 count helps tell how strong your immune system is. By knowing this when the blood test is done the CD4 helps the following, for the doctor:

-it indicates the stage of your HIV disease

-it guides the treatment

– it predicts how your disease may progress.

**Keeping your CD4 count high can reduce complications of HIV disease and extend your life.**

“It’s estimated that at least 90% of patients with sarcoidosis will experience lung involvement. Chest x-rays are often used to determine the nature of the disease. However, the results of this imaging can cause confusion for sarc patients- your doctor might tell you that the images indicate a certain “stage” of sarcoidosis. What does this mean? Is it like the stages of cancer? Being told you have “stage three” or “stage four” pulmonary sarcoidosis sounds bad- but what does it really mean?

Hopefully, your doctor gives you an accurate explanation of what the stages mean. However, too often we hear from patients who are concerned about which stage they have, what it means, or how long until they progress to the next stage. The stages of sarcoidosis should not be viewed in the way that stages of cancer are- they do not indicate progression of the disease.

In cancer, staging is a way to indicate the size of the cancer tumors, if it has spread to surrounding tissue, or spread to other organs entirely. It indicates progression- in stage IV cancer, the cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body, making it harder to recover from and requiring a more aggressive, full-body treatment.

In sarcoidosis, staging is a way to indicate the location of granulomas- the lungs, the lymph nodes, or both- and the nature of the disease. If anything, the stages are an easy way for doctors to categorize their sarcoidosis patients, and should not be seen as an indication of severity.”

Foundation for Sarcoidosis Foundation (The Stages of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis- What Do They Really Mean? — Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research)

“Here are some statistics related to sarcoidosis:

• Incidence: Sarcoidosis is most prevalent in Scandinavian and Northern European countries, with a higher risk for Black individuals compared to White individuals in the U.S.².
• Epidemiology: The incidence and prevalence of sarcoidosis vary significantly across populations, with studies indicating that the disease is more common in certain regions and among specific demographics³.
• Patient Demographics: A survey of 1018 US sarcoidosis patients found that 65% were female, 63% White, 34% Black, and 87% were over 45 years old. The most common organs affected were the lungs (87%), skin (30%), heart (25%), and eyes (25%)⁵.

These statistics highlight the heterogeneity of sarcoidosis and its impact on different populations.

High quality and systematically collected data, with depth (detailed information per individual) and breadth (many individuals), is needed to further understand the complexity and heterogeneity of sarcoidosis.

NIH National Library of Medicine (Sarcoidosis epidemiology: recent estimates of incidence, prevalence and risk factors – PMC)

“Sarcoidosis is a condition that causes tiny collections of immune system cells in any part of the body. These tiny collections form red, swollen lumps called granulomas. Granulomas most commonly occur in the lungs and the lymph nodes of the chest. They also can occur in the eyes, skin, heart and other organs.

Experts don’t know the exact cause of sarcoidosis, but it’s likely a mix of genetic and environmental factors. Some people appear to have gene changes that make them more likely to develop sarcoidosis. The condition may then be triggered by bacteria, viruses, dust or chemicals.”

MAYO CLINIC (Sarcoidosis – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

“More than half of all Americans age 80 or older either have cataracts or have had surgery to remove cataracts, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cataract is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States, and the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Prevent Blindness has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to educate the public on risk factors, symptoms, types of cataract, and cataract surgery.

A cataract is a clouding of the eye’s lens which blocks or changes the passage of light into the eye. The lens of the eye is located behind the pupil and the colored iris and is normally transparent. The lens helps to focus images onto the retina – which transmits the images to the brain.”

Prevent Blindness (https://preventblindness.org/cataract-awareness-june-2022/)

“Cataract or Cataracts generally do not cause pain, redness or tears. However, there is changes in your vision, that can vary from blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, the sense of a film over the eyes or Lights seem too dim for reading or close-up work, or you are dazzled by strong light or changing eyeglass prescriptions often. The change may not seem to help your vision. You may sometimes notice the cataract in your eye. It may look like a milky or yellowish spot in the pupil (the center of your eye is normally black).

Prevent Blindness America wants to educate the public on cataracts who has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month. The national non-profit group provides free information through its dedicated web page at preventblindness.org/cataract, or via phone at (800) 331-2020.”

Prevent Blindness (https://preventblindness.org/cataract-awareness-month/)

“Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the biological process that begins with the appearance of a buildup of proteins in the form of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. This causes brain cells to die over time and the brain to shrink.

About 6.9 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease. Among them, more than 70% are age 75 and older. Of the more than 55 million people in the world with dementia, 60% to 70% are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.”

MAYO CLINIC (Alzheimer’s disease – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

“APHASIA (Uh-Fay-Zhuh) is a result of a STROKE or BRAIN INJURY, and affects a person’s ability to communicate. It is important to remember that you are still a competent adult, you know what you want to say, you can make your own decisions and you are not deaf. Aphasia usually comes on suddenly from a stroke or brain injury. But in rare cases it may develop gradually. This is called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA). If you have aphasia, you may find it hard to: TALK, LISTEN/UNDERSTAND OTHERS WHEN THEY SPEAK, READ, WRITE, USE NUMBERS AND DO CALCULATIONS.”

National Aphasia Association (What is Aphasia? – The National Aphasia Association)

“The brain is a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body. Together, the brain and spinal cord that extends from it make up the central nervous system, or CNS.

Weighing about 3 pounds in the average adult, the brain is about 60% fat. The remaining 40% is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates and salts. The brain itself is a not a muscle. It contains blood vessels and nerves, including neurons and glial cells.

Gray and white matter are two different regions of the central nervous system. In the brain, gray matter refers to the darker, outer portion, while white matter describes the lighter, inner section underneath. In the spinal cord, this order is reversed: The white matter is on the outside, and the gray matter sits within.

The brain sends and receives chemical and electrical signals throughout the body. Different signals control different processes, and your brain interprets each. Some make you feel tired, for example, while others make you feel pain.”

John Hopkins Medicine (Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works | Johns Hopkins Medicine)

“Allergies and sinus problems are common during the warmer seasons. A reason for this is that plants release pollen in the spring, summer, and fall. People allergic to pollen may experience symptoms similar to a cold during these seasons. However, a cold or flu will usually not last longer than 2 weeks, while allergies can last 6 weeks or longer — depending on the cause of your allergic reaction.

Depending on where you live, another cause of summer sinus problems is the hot and dry air, which can irritate your sinuses and lead to a sinus infection — or sinusitis.”

Medicine Net (Can Hot Weather Cause Sinus Problems?)