Introduction

• According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), as of 2006, approximately 1,106,400 people were living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Of those cases, approximately 53,600 were new cases of the disease. AIDS begins as an infection of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As the virus progresses and takes over the immune system, the disease transforms into an AIDS diagnosis. This advanced stage is marked by specific symptoms defined by the Center for Disease Control.
  
  

Immune Cells

• One of the first symptoms defined by the CDC is based off of CD4 t-cell count. The t-cells are an important part of the immune system that are targeted during an infection of the HIV virus. As the virus progresses, the t-cell count begins to drop. A CD4 t-cell count of 200 or less is enough to diagnose a progression of the disease to AIDS. The cell count will continue to decrease as the disease progresses to its advance stages. In comparison, a healthy individual has a t-cell count of between 800 and more than 1,000.
  
  

Opportunistic Infections

• Another defining factor in an AIDS diagnosis is the presence of one or more opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are diseases that specifically target a compromised immune system. These can include cryptococcosis, chronic herpes, histoplasmosis, pneumonia and tuberculosis. Because the HIV/AIDS virus targets the immune system, it is often these opportunistic infections that cause death during advanced stages of the disease.
  
  

Wasting Syndrome

• Another symptoms of advanced AIDS is the presence of wasting syndrome. This is marked by noticeable extreme weight loss. The syndrome is so named because both the fatty tissue and muscle begin to "waste" away off of the body as the disease progresses.
  
  

Cancers

• Another marker that AIDS has progressed into an advanced stage is the presence of certain cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, this can include invasive cervical cancer, kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma (Burkitt type).