Immunology of Infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Excerpt

The virulence of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) lies in its unique ability to disarm the system that provides protection against invasive pathogens completely. The virus devastates the immune system by eliminating the T4 lymphocyte, which is the key component for generating and regulating the immune response (1). The T4 lymphocytes that do survive cannot execute the functions they were programmed to perform. The macrophage, a critical element in the generation of a specific immune response, can also be infected with HIV (2) and may serve as an important viral reservoir in the infected host (3, 4). Investigators are trying