HIV as a cause of immune activation and immunosenescence
Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Abstract
Systemic immune activation has emerged as an essential component of the immunopathogenesis of HIV. It not only leads to faster disease progression, but also to accelerated decline of overall immune competence. HIV-associated immune activation is characterized by an increase in proinflammatory mediators, dysfunctional T regulatory cells, and a pattern of T-cell-senescent phenotypes similar to those seen in the elderly. These changes predispose HIV-infected persons to comorbid conditions that have been linked to immunosenescence and inflamm-ageing, such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and cancer. In the antiretroviral treatment era, development of such non-AIDS-defining, age-related comorbidities is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatment strategies aimed at curtailing persistent immune activation and inflammation may help prevent the development of these conditions. At present, the most effective strategy appears to be early antiretroviral treatment initiation. No other treatment interventions have been found effective in large-scale clinical trials, and no adjunctive treatment is currently recommended in international HIV treatment guidelines. This article reviews the role of systemic immune activation in the immunopathogenesis of HIV infection, its causes and the clinical implications linked to immunosenescence in adults, and the therapeutic interventions that have been investigated.
Description
CITATION: Sokoya, T., et al. 2017. HIV as a cause of immune activation and immunosenescence. Mediators of Inflammation, 2017 (Article ID 6825493), doi:10.1155/2017/6825493.
The original publication is available at http://www.hindawi.com
The original publication is available at http://www.hindawi.com
Keywords
HIV-positve persons -- Immunological aspects, HIV infections -- Immunological aspects, Aging -- Immunological aspects, Antiretroviral agents
Citation
Sokoya, T., et al. 2017. HIV as a cause of immune activation and immunosenescence. Mediators of Inflammation, 2017 (Article ID 6825493), doi:10.1155/2017/6825493