early intervention

Starting HIV treatment relatively early in the course of disease.

efficacy

(e-fick-ka-see)

How well something works.

encephalopathy

(en-keff-a-lop-uh-thee)

A disease or infection affecting the brain.

endogenous

(en-dodge-jen-uss)

Coming from within.

endoscopy

(en-dos-cup-pee)

Viewing the inside of the body cavity with a flexible instrument using fibre optics.

endpoint

An event used by aclinical trial to evaluate whether a trial therapy is working, e.g. developing AIDS or a rise in viral load above a certain level.

enteric

(en-te-rick)

Associated with the gut.

enzyme

(en-zyme)

A protein which speeds up a chemical reaction.

epidemiology

(ep-pid-dee-me-ol-uh-gee)

The study of diseases within a population.

epidermis

(ep-pid-der-miss)

The outer layers of the skin.

epitope

(ep-i-tope)

The part of an antigen which the immune system recognises.

Epstein-Barr virus

The virus that causes oral hairy leukoplakia and glandular fever. Sometimes called mononucleosis.

erectile dysfunction

A man's inability to have or maintain an erection, also known as ED or impotence.

erythema

(e-ri-thee-muh)

A red skin eruption or rash.

erythropoietin

(e-rith-ro-poy-tin)

A natural hormone made in the kidneys to stimulate the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow.

ethics committee

A panel of people which reviews any proposed clinical trial to ensure that the participants are protected from any foreseeable exploitation or harm. In the US known as the Institutional Review Board.

exclusion criteria

Reasons that would disqualify a person from joining a trial.

exogenous

(ex-oj-jin-nuss)

Coming from outside the body.

expanded access scheme

A programme that allows access to an experimental drug outside clinical trials for people in particular need.