Antiretroviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus infection: hope and despair

While considering AIDS as an infectious disease with a direct relation between the etiologic agent and the deep immunodeficiency, antiretroviral drugs created much hope. The only transient effect observed with AZT treatment may not be due only to resistance occurrence but to effects that AZT does not target. These effects seem to be related to cytokines secretion which major the immunodepression. Efficient treatment should restore a normal cytokines network.