Cellular immune responses to HIV.

Journal article

The cellular immune response to the human immunodeficiency virus, mediated by T lymphocytes, seems strong but fails to control the infection completely. In most virus infections, T cells either eliminate the virus or suppress it indefinitely as a harmless, persisting infection. But the human immunodeficiency virus undermines this control by infecting key immune cells, thereby impairing the response of both the infected CD4+ T cells and the uninfected CD8+ T cells. The failure of the latter to function efficiently facilitates the escape of virus from immune control and the collapse of the whole immune system.

Authors: Mcmichael, A; Rowland-Jones, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Nature
• Volume: 410
• Issue: 6831
• Pages: 980-987
• Publication date: 2001-04-01
• DOI: 10.1038/35073658
• EISSN: 1476-4687
• ISSN: 0028-0836
• Language: English
• Keywords: HIV; Immune Tolerance; Lymphocyte Activation; Humans; AIDS Vaccines; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic; HIV Infections; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Animals; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes