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The Effects of HIV on the Immune System

HIV targets the cells of the immune system (called lymphocytes), specifically CD4+ cells. By attacking the cells of the immune system, HIV infection leads to a decreased ability to fight off both HIV and other infections.

  1. Acute Infection

    • During acute (primary) infection, HIV enters the bloodstream by action of dendritic cells that present HIV to lymphocytes (biology.arizona.edu). This triggers an immune response: the development of antibodies, cells designed to fight off the infection.

    Significance

    • Like other infections, HIV is delivered to lymphocytes to stimulate an immune response. However, because lymphocytes are also the target of HIV, the ability to respond effectively to HIV is lost through time.

    Features

    • HIV uses reverse transcriptase (an enzyme) to combine its genetic information with that of a host cell. This turns that cell into a virus factory, making more copies of HIV instead of reproducing itself.

    Time Frame

    • It may take up to six months to develop a detectable level of HIV antibodies, cells that fight HIV. Over the following years (sometimes up to 25, but averaging around 10), the immune system will attempt to keep HIV in check, during which time an HIV-positive individual is asymptomatic.

    Effects

    • When cell-mediated immunity--the ability of the immune system to fight off infection--is lost, AIDS develops. This is a series of conditions that do not affect people with healthily functioning immune systems, but they can have devastating effects in HIV-positive people.

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