Question

Regarding HIV infection, which one of the following statements is true?

• A. In the latent phase, patients will have few HIV particles
• B. Infected T cells survive for a month in infected patients
• C. CD4 counts are the best predictors for disease progression
• D. Needle stick injury leads to infection in 0.3% of cases

Hint:

Think about which single lab value clinicians actually use to stage HIV and decide when to start treatment.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks which single statement about the natural history and monitoring of HIV infection is correct, out of four commonly confused claims.

Step 2: Key Concept or Approach:
So-called clinical latency in HIV is not true viral dormancy - the virus continues to replicate actively in lymphoid tissue throughout this period even while the patient is asymptomatic, so viral particles are not simply "few" in a resting sense. Productively infected CD4 T cells are actually short-lived, with a half-life measured in roughly one to two days rather than a month, which is why viral load falls rapidly on effective treatment. Clinically, the CD4 count is the parameter used worldwide to stage HIV disease, decide when to start antiretroviral therapy and prophylaxis, and predict how soon a patient is likely to progress to opportunistic infections and AIDS, which is why it is described as the best predictor of disease progression.

Step 3: Working Through the Options:
"Few HIV particles in the latent phase" is misleading because viral replication continues throughout clinical latency. "Infected T cells survive for a month" overstates their lifespan, which is only a couple of days for actively infected cells. "CD4 counts are the best predictors for disease progression" correctly describes standard clinical practice, where CD4 count is the single most used marker to track a patient's immune status and prognosis. The needle-stick transmission figure, while a commonly quoted number, is not the statement this question is built around as the single best answer.

Step 4: Conclusion:
The correct answer is that CD4 counts are the best predictors for disease progression, reflecting their central role in staging and monitoring HIV infection.