Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
THE BIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS AND ITS ROLE IN NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE
AIDS and the Nervous System. Rosenblum ML et al, eds. New York, Raven Press, p. 327-45, 1988.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/89648474 Levy JA; Dept. of Medicine, Cancer Res. Inst., Box 0128, Room M-1282,; Univ. of California Sch. of Medicine, San Francisco, CA 94143
Abstract:
HIV, by its cytopathic effect, morphology, and replication to high titers in T-helper cells, is part of a subfamily of retroviruses known as lentiviruses. The biology of HIV is discussed with emphasis on its role in neurological disease. Topics include the discovery of HIV, evidence for the association of HIV with AIDS, neurological manifestations of AIDS, transmission of HIV, immunological response to HIV (humoral immunity and cell-mediated immunity), relationship of viral replication to clinical state, biological features of HIV infection, cytopathology, molecular structure of HIV, and antiviral therapy. The cytopathological effects of HIV on T lymphocytes include cell fusion, formation of multinucleated cells, and cell death. These effects may result from the accumulation of unintegrated proviral forms in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Features of HIV that influence antiviral therapy include high production of infectious virus by lymphocytes; latent infection in cells; cell-to-cell transfer of the virus; infection of other organs in the body, particularly the brain; differences in replication among isolates; and antigenic variations in the viral envelope. Because HIV may infect the brain, control and elimination of the virus pose major problems that were not recognized initially. Antiviral therapy, including vaccines, must aim at suppressing the spread of the virus to the brain and eventual elimination of any infection from brain tissue with minimal neurological damage. In an addendum to the text, the author defines the biological and serological properties of HIV that may characterize a subgroup of neurotropic viruses. These viruses do not replicate well in established T-cell lines, but they grow in polymorphonuclear cells and infect and replicate well in macrophages. They appear to be less cytopathic in established T-cell lines that are isolates from blood. These features may permit designation of HIV isolates that can cause neurological disease. Recently, a variant of HIV-1 has been identified that has some distinct proteins. Screening tests for antibodies to the AIDS virus should include some antigens to this new variant, called HIV-2. (97 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS/*MICROBIOLOGY Animal Antigenic Variation Brain Diseases/*MICROBIOLOGY Human HIV/GENETICS/IMMUNOLOGY/*PATHOGENICITY Viral Envelope Proteins/GENETICS Virulence Virus Replication MONOGRAPH REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
