HIV-AIDS: A Retroviral Disease and Management

Presented By:
HIV-AIDS: A Retroviral Disease
and Management

Introduction
HIV/AIDS: Human
Immunodeficiency Virus: Acquired
Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Causative agent: Retrovirus (Punt
et al., 2019)
27,545 people resides in Australia
with HIV and 63% of this is
attributable due to sexual contact
between men (Australian
Federation of AIDS Organisations,
2017)
Other mode of transmission is
from mother (infected) to child

Normal physiology of Immune
System
(Source: Punt et al.,

Pathophysiology of the
Disease
AIDs virus carries their genetic information in the form of
RNA
As the virus enters the cell, RNA (2 copies) is reverse-
transcribed to c-DNA (provirus) by virally encoded enzyme
reverse transcriptase (RT) (p64)
Provirus is integrated into the host cell genome and is
replicated along with host's DNA (Th cells or CD4+ cells)
Replication leads to expression of new virons with the lyses
of the host cell
HIV-AIDS thus hamper the cell-mediated immune response
Inactivation of Th cells (CD4+) cells further hampers the
activation of humoral immune response: B-cell leading to
comprehensive loss of immunity (immunocompromised)
(Punt et al., 2019)

The process of viral replication
AIDs virus infect human T cell leading to cell lysis
Gp41 transmembrane protein of the virion gp 120
associated with gp41 acts as a viral receptor for
CD4+ Tcells of the host
Within the viral envelop is the nucleo-capsid that
contains p17 and an inner layer of protein called p24
Once the viral genome enters the cell, the two
copies of single stranded RNA is converted t DNA by
p64 (RT) and intregrase protein p32 helps in the
insertion of the viral genome inside the host genome
(Punt et al., 2019)

Cross-sectional schematic diagram of HIV virion
(Source: Punt et al., 2019)