Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Causes, Effects, and General Information Almost 37 million people today are living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (amFAR, 2016). Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a lentivirus that affects our immune system. HIV is an easily contracted virus and was the cause of …show more content…
More specifically, our CD4 cells. The Immune System in our bodies works to prevent infection. The Immune System can recognize our healthy cells from cells that have been damaged or infected. The Immune System has many parts to it to help your body fight off and prevent infections, these parts include Skin, Bone Marrow, Blood Stream, Thymus, Lymphatic System, Spleen, and Mucosal Tissue (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2013). One of the major parts of the Immune System we will be looking at is the CD4 cells. There are four kinds of CD4 cells (TH1, TH2, TH17, and Treg) that are white blood cells that all work to stimulate a response in the Immune System. All CD4 cells are important in stimulating a response from the immune system of other immune cells or systems to prevent and fight off infection by secreting molecules that set off the Immune System (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2013). Human Immunodeficiency Virus works by affecting the CD4 cells. HIV has seven steps in affecting CD4 cells. First, the HIV Virus binds with the CD4 cells and fusses with the cell. Then, an HIV enzyme is released into the cell and inserts the HIV DNA into the cell’s DNA. The HIV then uses the CD4 protein to replicate and then releases itself to infect more CD4 cells (AIDSinfo, 2015). If the HIV goes without treatment the HIV will destroy all CD4 cells so that the Immune System can no longer prevent and fight infection. This Causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome