Infectious DiseasePending review
HIV
A retroviral infection that progressively destroys CD4 T-helper cells, so that disease is defined not by the virus itself but by the opportunistic infections and cancers that emerge once immune surveillance collapses.
In a nutshell
HIV progressively destroys CD4 T-helper cells that coordinate immunity, so disease severity tracks the CD4 count rather than the virus itself. As the count falls, progressively lower thresholds of immune control are breached, producing a broadly predictable sequence of opportunistic infections.
Classic presentation
A flu-like seroconversion illness weeks after exposure, followed by years of clinical latency, then the emergence of an opportunistic infection or malignancy once the CD4 count falls low enough.
Key points
- Disease is caused by progressive CD4 depletion, and the CD4 count predicts which opportunistic infections are likely.
Educational content pending clinical review. Not medical advice.