AIDS or the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome is characterized by the loss of the body's ability to fight infections and results from a virus known as the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease and although, medications can slow the progression of the disease, they cannot completely cure it. An individual infected with HIV can become susceptible to several types of infections and certain cancers. AIDS related viruses are viruses that infect HIV patients and cause severe life threatening conditions that are further aggravated by the reduced immunity of the patient.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus or KSHV
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus or human herpes virus 8 is found in the saliva of many HIV patients and causes an unusual type of skin cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma. Painless, non itchy pink to dark red, purple or brown lesions appear on the skin or in the mouth. Occasionally, the condition may spread to lymph nodes and internal organs such as liver, lungs, spleen and stomach. In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, because of Kaposi's sarcoma, the dermatologist often proves the first physician to diagnose HIV. However, new HIV drugs have made Kaposi's sarcoma less prevalent than before.
Human Cytomegalovirus or HCMV
HCMV is also a type of herpes virus that causes infection in a significant number of human population. As per University of South Carolina School of Medicine, cytomegalovirus often proves a major problem in HIV patients and can cause an eye infection known as cytomegalovirus-retinitis in about 15 percent of all AIDS patients. HCMV also causes interstitial pneumonia, colitis, esophagitis and encephalitis in some patients.
Epstein-Barr Virus
Epstein-Barr Virus or EBV associated tumors, especially of the central nervous system and brain, are one of the most common types of malignancies in HIV patients. An article published by The AIDS Reader in January 2008 states that EBV can also cause smooth muscle tumors in HIV infected individuals but these tumors are more common children with AIDS than in adults.
Human T-cell Leukemia Virus-1 or HTLV-1
The October 2005 edition of the Current HIV Research carries an article that states that the human T-cell leukemia virus-1 is an AIDS related virus that causes leukemia, a condition characterized by the production of an excessive number of abnormal white blood cells. Over time, these non- functional white blood cells overwhelm the normal function of the body's immune systems and make the patient susceptible to all sorts of infections.
References
- American Academy of Dermatology: Skin Conditions Related to AIDS
- Microbiology and Immunology Online: VIROLOGY - CHAPTER ELEVEN HERPES VIRUSES
- The AIDS Reader: Epstein-Barr Virus--Associated Smooth Muscle Tumor in a Person With AIDS
- "Current HIV Research"; AIDS related viruses, their association with leukemia, and Raf signaling.; Whitman AG et al; October 2005
