IRIS: A concern for people
starting HIV therapy

April 2008     View PDF     En español

It’s a mouthful of a phrase, but immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a serious condition that can be challenging to diagnose and treat. The main concern with IRIS is the inflammation that it causes. Though research is beginning to sort out the condition, it is still not well understood.

It’s not clear who will more likely experience IRIS, though it most often occurs in people with severely damaged immune systems shortly after they start taking HIV therapy. More study needs to tease out its risk factors and to find screening tools to help predict and manage the condition.

The symptoms are also found in HIV-negative people. However, this publication provides an overview of IRIS within the context of HIV disease. It presents ways to assess your risk and identify the condition.