[Apoptosis. Its role in the immune system ontogeny and in HIV infection]

Apoptosis is a physiologic process whereby undesired cells are eliminated in a non-inflammatory way. It is characterized by cellular retraction, clumping of nuclear chromatin and DNA retraction followed by DNA degradation into oligonucleosomes formed by 180-185 base pairs or multiples of these units that can be identified electrophoretically. The plasma membrane and organelles are well conserved until the final stages of the process. Apoptosis is central to many of the functions of the immune system. A review of its role in the immune system as well as in AIDS is presented, as well as a brief description of the methodology that can be followed for the assay of apoptosis.