Retroviral Disease Flashcards
Define ‘retrovirus’.
A single stranded RNA virus which replicates inside the host cell using a viral enzyme to produce its own DNA.
What type of transcription does the enzyme undergo?
Reverse transcription
What factors increase the risk of contracting HIV?
Violence Poverty Low level of education Drug use Substance abuse Binge drinking Condom choice Police harassment
What is the subtype of HIV in SA?
HIV1-Group M-Subtype C
Routes of infection/transmission
Sexual contact (semen, vaginal secretions)
Blood (whole blood, plasma, clotting factors, cellular fractions of blood)
Contaminated needles
Perinatal (transplacental, during delivery, breast milk)
What is tropism?
A preference for a particular cell type that preferentially will infect
What are the two tropic strains?
T-tropic
M-tropic
Discuss the T-tropic strain
Infects CD4 and T lymphocytes
Uses CXCR4 co-receptors to infect cells
Discuss the M-tropic strain
Infects macrophages and microglia
Uses CCR5 co-receptors to infect cells
Define the innate immune response
Activation of the adaptive response through antigen presentation
Define adaptive immune response
The humeral response and antibody production. The cell-mediated response–helper T-cell differentiation
Effectors in innate immune response
Phagocytes
Inflammatory mediators
Complement
Natural killer cells
Effectors of the adaptive immune response
B-cells (antibodies)
T-cells
