Selected publication milestones through 9 October 2026. These dates identify source publication years, not priority claims or a comprehensive history.
1987 — Placebo-controlled AZT trial measures short-term clinical outcomes. PMID 3299089.
1994 — Maternal and infant prophylaxis tests HIV acquisition. PMID 7935654.
1996 — Plasma viral load predicts clinical prognosis observationally. PMID 8638160.
2006 — SMART suppression/withdrawal design tests clinical disease modification. PMID 17135583.
2008 — CHER early infant treatment tests mortality and progression. PMID 19020325.
2011 — HPTN 052 treatment tests linked transmission and clinical outcomes. PMID 21767103.
2015 — START tests immediate treatment against deferred initiation. PMID 26192873.
A necessary antecedent is distinct from infection-alone sufficiency.
Specific host and coinfection mechanisms remain incompletely identified.
Which residual outcomes reflect irreversible injury, coinfection, treatment toxicity or ongoing viral biology?
Phenotype similarity cannot establish etiologic identity.
Selected body access and unexamined linked correction details limit this review.
A stronger necessity-and-sufficiency assessment would require a prospectively specified noncircular syndrome definition and independently verified naturally acquired HIV status, host modifiers, exposure history and longitudinal outcomes. Use ethically delivered target-engaged treatment and adjudicated natural-course/clinical-care observations; do not induce infection or withhold effective therapy. The purpose is causal scope discrimination rather than recreating established treatment harm.