Immunology

What is Immunology?

Over the past decade, immunology has empowered most patients and their clinicians to easily understand current theories and debates. Immunology literature is reserved for those who speak the molecular language of the field. However, within immunology lies the ability to understand and overcome HIV as a human disease. Meanwhile, I will try to highlight and simplify some of the recent developments in immunology that were presented through several lectures and posters at the 41st ICAAC in December 2001.

Even before the discovery of the HIV virus, it was known that those suffering from PCP pneumonia or KS fever had impaired immunity due to low CD4+ T-cells. Twenty years later, the processes by which HIV causes this reduction in T-cells are not fully understood. When someone is initially infected with HIV, CD4+ T-cells rapidly decline. But soon after, CD4+ T-cell counts rebound while simultaneously the HIV virus decreases. During this period of HIV infection, there is some immune system control over HIV replication.