Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Essay

Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - Essay Example Global statistic shows that approximately 33.4 million of people are currently live with AIDS/HIV among them are 3.3 million of children. Also, approximately 97% of all patients that have AIDS/HIV are from low and middle income countries. The first cases of AIDS/HIV were detected in 1981. Since that time HIV lead to 25 million deaths all over the world. Therefore AIDS/HIV is the most important health challenge nowadays. HIV related to the lentiviruses from Retroviridae family. This genus of viruses mainly characterizes by their ability to transmit quite huge amount of viral RNA into the DNA of the host cell. Also they can infect non-dividing cells. The main targets for HIV are cells of the immune system such as macrophages that are white blood cells and can protect our organism through phagocytosis from outer dangerous substances; dendritic cells that involve in process of antigen production and presenting on the surface of the T cells; T helper cells that play important role in adaptive immune system and immune responses. (Mayo Clinic,2014) HIV damages CD4+ cells that related to the T helper cells and the amount of such cells rapidly decreased. When level of CD4+ cells is lower than a minimal level cell-mediated immunity stops work properly and does not release phagocytes and cytokines as a response to an antigen. This is quite dangerous process that leads to the extremely high susceptibility of organism to opportunistic infections that are not that dangerous and usually do not cause disease in people with a healthy immune system. (Mayo Clinic,2014)