HIV Infection: Progress and Problems

Today, the most adequate and complete explanation of the main phenomena of clinico-immunological disease picture was suggested by D. Ho and his team (1998). According to their model, HIV infection is not slow infection, but acute productive process, lasting for many years with development AIDS. First of all, in this process specific cytotoxic lymphocytes and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity play an active role, as well as apoptotic processes, hyperproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, development of autoimmune disorders, direct cytotoxic action of envelope viral proteins The investigations, carried out in Scientific Educational and Industrial Complex "Clinical Immunology" of Rostov-Don State Medical University, have shown that the changes of macrophage functional activity during HIV infection are in dependence upon many factors, especially patient's age. The progression of HIV infection is accompanied with increase of CD95 expression on all lymphocytes, but especially on CD4(+) subpopulation at the stage of AIDS-associated infections. In this group of lymphocytes there is the highest number of cells with DNA degradation that is characteristic of terminal phase of apoptosis. It is possible to make a conclusion that both the viral factors, and the functional features of patient's immune system have great importance for pathogenesis of one or another variant of HIV infection course.