Question

In a person that has been diagnosed to be AIDS positive which immune system pathways are functioning which ones are partially working and which ones are not functioning at all? Give reasons for your answer.

In aids positive patients, mainly HIV virus affect The helper cells,which are also called

Answer 1

HIV virus mainly effect T helper cells. The gp 120 of the virus specifically binds to the CD4 receptor present on T helper cells. Both the Th1 type cells and Th2 type cells are infected by the virus. The virus first binds to the CD4 receptor via gp 120 and fuses with the cells. It takes over the cell system and start replicating itself.

Our body consists of B cell mediated immune response and T cell mediated immune response. B cells produce antibodies if they are stimulated directly by the antigen, but effective response and antibody class switch required T helper cell involvement and their secretions. There is another population of T cells, the T cytotoxic cells which do immune surveillance and destroy transformed cell or viraly infected cells. But they cannot act on the Th cells.

Conclusion: The immune response which is severely effected is the T cell mediated immune response.

The component of immune system that continues to work is the B cell mediated immune response - it works partially as it requires interleukins from T h cells. T cytotoxic cells also work partially.

T helper mediated responses are totally effected or closed due to HIV infection in AIDS patients.