Post Date November, 16 2024
AIDS is a very harmful infectious disease, caused by AIDS virus (HIV) infection. HIV is a virus that can attack the human immune system. Targeting the most important T lymphocytes in the human immune system as the main target, extensively damaging these cells, leading to the loss of immune function in the human body. Therefore, the human body is susceptible to various diseases, can develop malignant tumors, and has a high mortality rate. The incubation period of HIV in the human body is 8~9 years on average. Before suffering from AIDS, people can live and work without symptoms for many years.
The lipoproteins of AIDS virus (HIV) in vitro are embedded into gp120 and gp41 glycoproteins. gp120 and CD4 glycoprotein on the surface of lymphocytes have affinity, and gp41, which can specifically bind to gp120, mediates the fusion of virus membrane and host cell membrane fusion. Therefore, HIV can selectively invade CD4+lymphocytes after reaching the bloodstream through areas of skin mucosal damage and other methods such as blood.
After HIV invades CD4+lymphocytes, under the action of viral reverse transcriptase, DNA is synthesized and integrated into the host cell's chromosomes. The integrated viral DNA can replicate within the cell, forming a complete viral body that is released outside the cell, causing cell death and infecting new cells
In the early stages of the epidemic, a large number of HIV replicates, causing viremia, and the expression of coat antigen p24, with clinical manifestations of acute HIV infection. A large amount of replication within HIV cells leads to damage and death of CD4+lymphocytes, and a significant decrease in CD4+T cells. However, under the immune function of the body, CD8+CTL is activated, killing HIV infected cells and producing anti HIV antibodies. Viremia is quickly cleared, and the CD4+lymphocyte count is restored.
However, HIV has not been completely killed and enters a persistent latent infection state. HIV is in low-level replication and clinically presents as asymptomatic HIV infection. As HIV continues to replicate and spread, CD4+lymphocytes continue to die. This cycle will eventually lead to depletion of CD4+lymphocytes, serious damage to immune function, and infection and tumor of various conditional pathogens. The clinical manifestation is AIDS, which eventually leads to death.
Introduction to Three Ways of AIDS Transmission
There are three main ways of transmission of AIDS, including sexual transmission, blood transmission and mother to child transmission. Sexual transmission and blood transmission are the main ways of transmission of AIDS. The transmission route of AIDS does not include general contact, so AIDS patients should not be discriminated against in life. For example, eating together, shaking hands, etc. will not be infected with AIDS.
