[The monocyte-macrophage system and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)]

Abstract

The pathogenesis of HIV infection and the definition of the cell types target of HIV is the crucial background for the improvement of the therapeutic strategies against HIV infection. Monocyte-macrophages (M/M) are easily infected by HIV, and play a crucial role in the maintenance and the progression of HIV-related disease; HIV infection of M/M is the principal cause of HIV-related "dementia complex". Thus it is crucial that drugs used in the therapy of HIV infection are active against HIV replicating in cells of M/M lineage. In this paper the interaction between HIV and M/M is analyzed and the characteristics of viral replication in these cells, and the in vitro antiviral activity of several drugs in M/M are discussed. These data suggest that patients should be treated with drugs, that inhibit HIV also in M/M and, consequently, are able to block the clinical manifestations related to M/M infection, such as "dementia complex".