HIV Practice Questions

Question 1

A 32-year-old man comes to the physician for a follow-up examination 1 week after being admitted to the hospital for oral candidiasis and esophagitis. His CD4+ T lymphocyte count is 180 cells/μL. An HIV antibody test is positive. Genotypic resistance assay shows the virus to be susceptible to all antiretroviral therapy regimens and therapy with dolutegravir, tenofovir, and emtricitabine is initiated. Which of the following sets of laboratory findings would be most likely on follow-up evaluation 3 months later?
 $$$ CD4 +/CD8 ratio %%% HIV RNA %%% HIV antibody test $$$

Accepted Answer

↑ ↓ positive

Answer

↓ ↓ negative

Answer

↑ ↑ negative

Answer

↓ ↑ negative

Answer

↓ ↑ positive

Question 2

A 2300-g (5-lb 1-oz) male newborn is delivered to a 29-year-old primigravid woman. The mother has HIV and received triple antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy. Her HIV viral load was 678 copies/mL 1 week prior to delivery. Labor was uncomplicated. Apgar scores are 7 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes respectively. Physical examination of the newborn shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management of this infant?

Accepted Answer

Administer zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine

Answer

Administer lamivudine and nevirapine

Answer

Administer nevirapine

Answer

Administer zidovudine

Answer

HIV antibody testing

Question 3

A 45-year-old man with a history of poorly controlled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection presents to the emergency room complaining of clumsiness and weakness. He reports a 3-month history of worsening balance, asymmetric muscle weakness, and speech difficulties. He recently returned from a trip to Guatemala to visit his family. He has been poorly compliant with his anti-retroviral therapy and his most recent CD4 count was 195. His history is also notable for rheumatoid arthritis and hepatitis C. His temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg, pulse is 95/min, and respirations are 18/min. On exam, he has 4/5 strength in his right upper extremity, 5/5 strength in his left upper extremity, 5/5 strength in his right lower extremity, and 3/5 strength in his left lower extremity. His speech is disjointed with intermittent long pauses between words. Vision is 20/100 in the left eye and 20/40 in his right eye; previously, his eyesight was 20/30 bilaterally. This patient most likely has a condition caused by which of the following types of pathogens?

Accepted Answer

Polyomavirus

Answer

Arenavirus

Answer

Bunyavirus

Answer

Herpesvirus

Answer

Picornavirus

Question 4

A 46-year-old Caucasian male with past medical history of HIV (CD4: 77/mm^3), hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and osteoarthritis presents to the emergency department with sudden weakness of his right hand. He reports that the weakness has gradually been getting worse and that this morning he dropped his cup of coffee. He has never had anything like this happen to him before, although he was hospitalized last year for pneumonia. He reports inconsistent adherence to his home medications, which include raltegravir, tenofovir, emtricitabine, TMP-SMX, hydrochlorothiazide, pravastatin, and occasional ibuprofen. His father died of a myocardial infarction at the age of 60, and his mother suffered a stroke at the age of 72. The patient's temperature is 102.6°F (39.2°C), blood pressure is 156/92 mmHg, pulse is 88/min, and respirations are 18/min. On neurological exam, he has 3/5 strength in the distal muscles of the right extremity with preserved sensation. His neurological exam is normal in all other extremities.

Which of the following is the best next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Head CT

Answer

Serology for Toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies

Answer

Empiric treatment with pyrimethamine-sulfadiazine

Answer

Empiric treatment with itraconazole

Answer

Lumbar puncture

Question 5

A physician scientist is looking for a more efficient way to treat HIV. Patients infected with HIV mount a humoral immune response by producing antibodies against the HIV envelope proteins. These antibodies are the same antibodies detected by the ELISA and western blot assays used to diagnose the disease. The physician scientist is trying to generate a new, more potent antibody against the same HIV envelope proteins targeted by the natural humoral immune response. Of the following proteins, which is the most likely target of the antibody he is designing?

Accepted Answer

gp120

Answer

p24

Answer

CXCR4

Answer

CCR5

Answer

p17

Question 6

A 24-year-old male presents to the emergency room with a cough and shortness of breath for the past 3 weeks. You diagnose Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP). An assay of the patient's serum reveals the presence of viral protein p24. Which of the following viral genes codes for this protein?

Accepted Answer

gag

Answer

pol

Answer

rev

Answer

env

Answer

tat

Question 7

A 28-year-old G1P0 woman at 16 weeks estimated gestational age presents for prenatal care. Routine prenatal screening tests are performed and reveal a positive HIV antibody test. The patient is extremely concerned about the possible transmission of HIV to her baby and wants to have the baby tested as soon as possible after delivery. Which of the following would be the most appropriate diagnostic test to address this patient’s concern?

Accepted Answer

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HIV RNA

Answer

CD4+ T cell count

Answer

Viral culture

Answer

Antigen assay for p24

Answer

EIA for HIV antibody

Question 8

A 33-year-old man is brought into the emergency department with fever, lethargy, and confusion. He is a cachectic man in acute distress, unable to respond to questions or follow commands. His friend confides that the patient has been sexually active with multiple male partners and was diagnosed with HIV several months ago, but was lost to follow up. Based on prior records, his most recent CD4 count was 65 cells/uL. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

CT head without contrast

Answer

Lumbar puncture

Answer

Recheck CD4 and HIV viral load serologies

Answer

MRI brain with contrast

Answer

Neurological exam with fundoscopy

Question 9

A 27-year-old man presents with a 2-week history of fever, malaise, and occasional diarrhea. On physical examination, the physician notes enlarged inguinal lymph nodes. An HIV screening test is positive. Laboratory studies show a CD4+ count of 650/mm3. This patient is most likely currently in which of the following stages of HIV infection?

Accepted Answer

Acute HIV infection

Answer

Chronic HIV infection

Answer

Asymptomatic HIV infection

Answer

AIDS

Answer

Clinical latency stage

Question 10

An investigator is studying the mechanism of HIV infection in cells obtained from a human donor. The effect of a drug that impairs viral fusion and entry is being evaluated. This drug acts on a protein that is cleaved off of a larger glycosylated protein in the endoplasmic reticulum of the host cell. The protein that is affected by the drug is most likely encoded by which of the following genes?

Accepted Answer

env

Answer

gag

Answer

tat

Answer

pol

Answer

rev

HIV

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HIV structure and replication cycle

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Antiretroviral therapy principles

NRTI, NNRTI, PI, INSTI, and entry inhibitors

HIV resistance testing

HIV prevention strategies

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HIV co-infections (HBV, HCV, TB)

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