Immunology of the human immunodeficiency virus infection

From the beginning of the AIDS epidemic it was realized, that the immune system is the major target of the disease. After isolation of the ethiological agent -named the human immunodeficiency virus became clear that there is a dual relationship between the immune system and HIV, i.e. HIV attaques the immune system and the immune system attaques the HIV. The present communication gives a brief review of both aspects of the HIV infection. It is emphasised that both aspects of the relationship have inherent complexities illustrated on the one hand by the findings that the immunodeficiency cannot be explained solely by the established pathogenetic mechanism of lysis of the CD4+ T lymphocytes with ultimate depletion of the cells, and on the other hand by the fact that the virus manage to establish itself as a relentlessly progressing infection in seemingly all infected humans in spite of a vigorous anti-HIV directed immune response.