Explain How Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

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The Answer is Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a disease that destroys the body's immune system. Infected people thus gradually become increasingly vulnerable to opportunistic diseases. HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus. HIV attacks normal white blood cells (called T-cells) that fight off diseases invading the body. The specific type of T-cell that's vulnerable has CD4 molecules on its surface that help coordinate the body's resistance "to certain microorganisms such as viruses." After invading the CD4 T-cell, HIV immediately begins destroying this host cell and injecting its own genetic material into the cell. The transformed CD4 T-cell then begins producing more HIV instead of reproducing its former self. As the invaded CD4 T-cells produce more of the virus and fewer disease attacking white blood cells, the body's immune system deteriorates. As a result, the body is left defenseless and becomes easy prey to other diseases that eventually may cause death. HIV is a frightening agent that has continued to mutate into various strains, making it difficult to find a cure. HIV gradually destroys the immune system, so it may take a while to develop the serious conditions characterizing AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control, full-blown AIDS diagnosis applies when a person has a positive HIV blood test and has a CD4 T-cell count of less than 200 (normal people have between 500 and 1600) or has any of a number of "life-threatening opportunistic infections."
No cure exists for HIV or AIDS. However, treatment can significantly delay the progress of the disease. A major breakthrough was the discovery of antiviral drugs (e.g., azidothymidine or AZT) that can stop the virus from multiplying; however, such drugs cannot repair the person's damaged immune system. Another step forward was the discovery of protease inhibitors that attack the viral enzyme protease, which is necessary for HIV to make copies of itself and multiply. Today most treatment involves highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HAART is the combination of three or more HIV drugs, often referred to as "drug cocktails" or "cocktail drugs." This development, in conjunction with the development of HIV RNA testing (which allows health-care providers to monitor the amount of virus in the bloodstream), has allowed for better control of HIV and has slowed the disease progression. Various types of clinical research are currently being conducted to combat HIV, although clinical trials take years to complete; for example, some researchers are trying to develop a vaccine to prevent transmission of HIV.

Explain How Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

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