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Review
. 2005;2(5):423-7.
doi: 10.1513/pats.200507-077JS.

The immunocompromised host: HIV infection

James M Beck  1
Affiliations
Review

The immunocompromised host: HIV infection

James M Beck. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2005.

Abstract

The variety of pulmonary infections encountered in HIV-infected individuals indicates that many components of the host defense network are impaired. In addition to depletion of CD4+ T cell numbers, HIV infection results in functional deficits in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and natural killer cells. Although some components of macrophage defense are preserved, lack of activation signals from CD4+ T cells contributes to impaired defense by macrophages. There are few data examining the functional capabilities of neutrophils in the lung, but evidence from peripheral blood neutrophils indicates that defense by these cells is also impaired. An improved understanding of these events in the lung during HIV infection could lead to specific interventions aimed at restoration of deficient function.

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Figures

<b>Figure 1.</b>
Figure 1.
Tropism of HIV strains for lung cells. T-tropic strains infect T cells, using CD4 as the main receptor and CXCR4 as the coreceptor. M-tropic strains infect alveolar macrophages, using CCR5 as the coreceptor, although alveolar macrophages also express CXCR4.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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