Human immunodeficiency virus opportunistic infections

Marr KA, Boeckh M, Carter RA, et al. Combination antifungal therapy for invasive aspergillosis. Clin Infect Dis 2004 39 797-802. Masur H, Kaplan JE, Holmes KK, et al. 1999 USPHS/IDSA guidelines for the prevention of opportunistic infections in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Clin Infect Dis 2000 30 S29-S65. 

Nelfinavir is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection when antiretroviral therapy is warranted. At present, there are no results from controlled trials evaluating the effect of therapy with nelfinavir on clinical progression of HIV infection, such as survival or the incidence of opportunistic infections. 

USPHS/IDSA Prevention of Opportunistic Infections Working Group. 1999 USPHS/IDSA guidelines for the prevention of opportunistic infections in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus. Clin Infect... 

Wahl SM, Greenwell-Wild T, Peng G, Hale-Donze H, Orenstein JM (1999) Co-infection with opportunistic pathogens promotes human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in macrophages. J Infect Dis 179(Suppl. 3) S457-S460... 

The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized in 1981, and described in a cohort of young homosexual men with significant immune deficiency. Since then, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been clearly identified as the major cause of AIDS.1 HIV-2 is much less prevalent than HIV-1, but also causes AIDS. HIV primarily targets CD4+ lymphocytes, which are critical to proper immune system function. If left untreated, patients experience a prolonged asymptomatic period followed by rapid, progressive immunodeficiency. Therefore, most complications experienced by patients with AIDS involve opportunistic infections and cancers. 

Immunocompromised A condition in which the immune system is not functioning normally. This condition is seen in the very young, the very old, human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals, and in transplant patients. An immunocompromised person is susceptible to opportunistic infections. 

Kaplan, J.E., Hanson, D., Dworkin, M.S., Frederick, T., Bertolli, J., Lindegren, M.L., Holmberg, S. and Jones, J.L. (2000) Epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus-associated opportunistic infections in the United States in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 30, S5—S14. 

AIDS represents the classic example of immunodeficiency disease caused by extrinsic factors, in this instance the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This virus exhibits a strong tropism for CD4 T helper cells these become depleted, giving rise to increased frequency of opportunistic infections and malignancies in infected individuals. AIDS is also characterized by an imbalance in THl and TH2 cells, and the ratios of cells and their functions are skewed toward TH2. This results in hypergammaglobulinemia, loss of cytotoxic lymphocyte activity, and delayed hypersensitivity. 

Hung CC, Chang SC. Impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy on incidence and management of human immunodeficiency virus-related opportunistic infections. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2004 54 849-853. 

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a degenerative disease of the immune system, is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and results in life-threatening opportunistic infections and malignancies. Antiviral and im-munomodulating natural products have been investigated as treatments for AIDS (111). 

AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is an acquired Idefect of cellular immunity associated with infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HTV), a CD4-posifive T-lymphocyte count under 200 cells/ iL or less than 14% of total lymphocytes, and increased susceptibility to opportunistic infections and malignant neoplasms. Clinical manifestations also include emaciation (wasting) and demen-... 

Berns JS, Cohen RM, Stumacher RJ, Rudnick MR. Renal aspects of therapy for human immunodeficiency virus and associated opportunistic infections. J Am Soc Nephrol. 1991 Mar 1(9) 1061-80. 

The retrovirus destroys the immune system, resulting in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). An HIV patient develops acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) when the retrovirus becomes active and results in opportunistic infection and malignant neoplasm. 

Castanosp ermine has been shown to have in vitro antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [99] and human cytomegalovirus (CMV) [100], which is an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS. Alterations in viral coat glycoproteins in the presence of castanospermine are associated with a loss of infectivity. 6-0-acyl derivatives of castanospermine are more potent inhibitors of HIV growth than the natural product with the 6-O-butyryl-derivative (MDL 28,374) currently in clinical trials for AIDS. The lipophilic nature of the acyl derivative improves uptake by cells but the compound appears to be intracellularly converted to castanospermine [101]. 

Kovacs JA, Masur H. Prophylaxis against opportunistic infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med 2000 342 1416-1429. 

The most daunting claim to fame for a human retrovirus came in the early 1980s, when teams of researchers in France and the United States jointly identified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) as the etiologic agent in the human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome called AIDS. HIV infection of human T cells eventually results in T-cell death and loss of these important cells from the immune system. AIDS patients with extremely low numbers of T cells are highly susceptible to opportunistic infectious diseases, which are often the underlying cause of death due to AIDS. 

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition characterized by the development of life-threatening opportunistic infection or malignancies with severe depression of the T-cell mediated immune system caused by infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

Infection of a host cell by a virus particle occurs when the virus sticks to a host cell and then a portion of the cell membrane is dissolved by an enzyme present in the protein overcoat of the virus. This is followed by the entry of nucleic acid of the virus or the complete virus into the host cell. There is high specificity in this process as only certain types of hosts and host cells are invaded by any particular virus. For example, there are large numbers of plant viruses, none of which invade animal cells. The HIV virus (human immunodeficiency virus) which is responsible for AIDS infects only the T (lymphocyte) cells of the human immune system but the result is devastating. The immune system is inactivated and the person becomes easy prey to pneumonia, Kaposi s sarcoma (a form of cancer), and a variety of other opportunistic diseases. 

Piscitelli SC, Kelly G, Walker RE, Kovacs J, Falloon J, Davey RT, Raje S, Masur H, Polls MA. A multiple ( g interaction study of stavudine witii agents for opportunistic infections in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, Antimicrob Agents Chemother (1999) 43, 647-50. 

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