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CD4+ t-cell depletion in hiv infection: Killed by friendly fire?

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Abstract

Recent studies have emphasized the role of a chronic, generalized activation of the immune system as a prominent cause of CD4+ T-cell depletion in HIV-infected patients. The HIV-induced immune activation is a strong predictor of disease progression in humans, and lack of immune activation is a key feature of nonpathogenic simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection of natural hosts. The mechanisms by which immune activation induces CD4+ T-cell depletion are still incompletely understood, but likely involve changes in the complex dynamics of the naive, memory, and effector subsets of T cells. A better understanding of how HIV-induced immune activation leads to CD4+ T-cell depletion may provide new targets for immune-based interventions that could be used, in addition to standard antiretroviral therapy, to slow disease progression in HIV-infected individuals.

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  1. Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 954 Gatewood Road NE, 30329, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Guido Silvestri MD

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  1. Abeer Moanna MD
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Moanna, A., Dunham, R., Paiardini, M. et al. CD4+ t-cell depletion in hiv infection: Killed by friendly fire?. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2, 16–23 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-996-0004-3

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