Mechanism of disease induction by HIV

Article Abstract:

There are four major manifestations of AIDS: immune deficiency, whereby the immune system of individuals is compromised and opportunistic infections can develop; infection of the brain, causing such neurological difficulties as dementia; stimulation of cell division and growth, resulting in cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma and B-cell lymphomas; and the development of other diseases, such as hepatitis, papilloma, HTLV-1 due to infections with pathogenic organisms because of lifestyle and/or immune impairment. The basic features of HIV infection are summarized. A protein known as the envelope protein, which is part of the outer coat of the virus, binds to a molecule known as CD4 located on immune cells such as T cells, macrophages and microglia (macrophages in the brain). The virus enters into the cells through the CD4 molecule. T cells are eventually destroyed, and since they are essential for an immune response, the immune system no longer functions. The genes of the virus are integrated into the chromosomes of the cells and are passed on to the next generation of cells. Therefore, infection lasts for a lifetime. The virus can remain latent, that is, it does not form virus particles for a certain period of time. Variants of the virus exist, some of which cause disease more readily than others. This variation allows the virus to escape detection and subsequent destruction by the immune system. The progression of AIDS may occur more rapidly if the individual is infected with other viruses besides HIV. The infection of cells that contain the CD4 molecule appears to initiate events that lead to the production of growth factors that may be involved in the production of cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma and B cell lymphomas, that are associated with AIDS. Therefore, the infectivity of HIV is complicated, with many steps leading to the development of disease. With the understanding of the steps, it is hoped that progression to the disease can be halted. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Persistent immune complexes and abnormal CD4/CD8 ratios in HIV infection

Article Abstract:

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can result in the formation of complexes of the viral protein antigens with antibodies which are produced by the immune system to fight the virus. These complexes can circulate in the blood and can cause dysfunction of the immune system, as well as glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the blood-filtering units of the kidneys) and vasculitis (inflammation in the blood vessels). Dysfunction of the immune system occurs during progression from HIV infection to AIDS, and it is possible that the immune complexes contribute to the malfunction of the immune system. The possible relationship between the presence of immune complexes and disease progression was examined in 1,023 men, including 811 homosexual or bisexual men, from a health study group in San Francisco. Their blood was tested for the presence of immune complexes every six months over a two-year period. Persistent immune complexes were found most frequently in those men who were infected with HIV. Immune complexes were seen more frequently in seronegative homosexual/bisexual men than seronegative heterosexual men. However, the existence of immune complexes did not correlate with the progression of disease, as measured by the numbers or ratio of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Low numbers of CD4+ cells and a low CD4+/CD8+ ratio is indicative of disease progression and dysfunction of the immune system. There was also no correlation between the levels of immune complexes and the clinical symptoms of AIDS or AIDS-related complex. Therefore, the presence of immune complexes does not appear to be involved in the progression of the disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Immune complexes, HIV antibodies

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HIV infection in autologous and allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients: a retrospective analysis of the Marseille bone marrow transplant population

Article Abstract:

The development and progression of AIDS may be faster in HIV-infected individuals who have received a bone marrow transplant (BMT) than in those who have not. Among 81 patients who received a bone marrow transplant at a university hospital between 1981 and 1985, 12 had HIV infection. Two of the patients were HIV-positive before receiving the transplant, and 10 became HIV-positive after transplantation. Five patients underwent an autologous (self) BMT, and six had been transplanted with bone marrow from a donor. None of the bone marrow donors tested positive for HIV-infection at the time of the transplant. Eleven patients (92%) developed AIDS within an average of one year and eight months of receiving a BMT. Seven patients who developed AIDS died within an average of approximately two years after receiving a transplant.

HIV infection, HIV infections, Bone marrow, Bone marrow transplantation

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