Abstract
The progressive loss of CD4 T lymphocyte is patognomonic of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and results in immunodeficiency and the appearance of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining pathologies. Although a percentage of CD4 T lymphocytes is destroyed directly by HIV infection, a much higher proportion of lymphocytes remains uninfected and therefore must be destroyed by mechanisms not directly involving viral infection. One such mechanism is apoptotic T cell death (ATCD). ATCD in HIV infection has been shown to be: 1) secondary to cross-linking of CD4 by viral proteins; 2) mediated by both APO-1/Fas and lymphotoxin (LT); and 3) differentially modulated by type 1 and type 2 cytokines. We will briefly analyze the experimental evidences suggesting that ATCD contributes significantly to the immunopathogenesis of HIV/AIDS via depletion of CD4+ T cells. apoptosis; programmed cell death; HIV; AIDS; immunology; cytokines; T lymphocytes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 699-706 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Cell Death and Differentiation |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 8 |
Publication status | Published - 1997 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cell Biology