Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, is an infection caused by a virus that damages infection-fighting cells in the body. HIV often leads to autoimmune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS. When an HIV infection begins killing cells with major roles in the immune system, it is very easy to become secondarily infected and not have the immunity to fight the infection.
Bacterial/Viral Infections
In the early stages of HIV, the most common type of infections result from invading bacteria that the immune system can not mount a defense against. According to Dr. Shirley Jankelevich, infections include pneumonia, influenza, and infections caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella. Normally, CD4 cells would help the body destroy these invading bacteria and viruses, but HIV wipes the cells out, allowing the bacteria to thrive. Once the bacteria have a niche for growth, and no competition to growth from an immune system, the bacteria can take over a tissue or organ rather quickly. Many people with HIV eventually succumb to a secondary bacterial or viral infection rather than directly from the HIV virus particles.
Kaposi Sarcoma
Kaposi sarcoma is a cancer that is often seen in patients who have contracted AIDS. In fact, one of the signs that a patient has moved from an HIV positive infection to full-blown AIDS is the presence of Kaposi sarcoma, notes the American Cancer Society. The cancer causes flat skin lesions of varying color, and can pop up anywhere on the body. In patients with AIDS, an aggressive treatment with AIDS drugs can help to buffer the immune system and fight the infection. Typical cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation do not tend to work in the immunocompromised patients.
Cardiovascular Disease
The American Heart Association states that cardiovascular disease is a growing cause of death in patients with HIV. HIV is known to increase the triglycerides and decrease the good kind of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, in the blood. High density lipoprotein, HDL, normally sequesters excess forms of bad cholesterol, like triglycerides, and takes them to the liver. The excess triglycerides, in combination with a decrease in HDL, can result in a buildup of plaque in the arteries. HIV is a retrovirus, and a common type of medication is the antiretroviral class of drugs. Research published in the journal "Circulation" by Michael P. Dubé, et.al., indicates that antiretroviral therapy may contribute to a decreased function of the heart and vasculature in the body on a long-term basis.
References
- HIV InSite Knowledge Base Chapter: Serious Bacterial Infections in Children with HIV
- American Cancer Society: What is Kaposi Sarcoma?
- American Heart Association: Cardiovascular Disease in HIV-Infected Patients
- "Circulation"; Effects of HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy on the Heart and Vasculature; Michael P. Dubé MD, Steven E. Lipshultz MD, Carl J. Fichtenbaum MD, Richard Greenberg MD, Alison D. Schecter MD, Stacy D. Fisher MD; June 2008.
