HIV-infection - is a slowly developing infectious disease caused by Human Deficiency Virus (HIV). An important feature of HIV is the ability to infect and cause the death of some cells of the immune system, resulting in the development of immunodeficiency condition [Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)]. A few years after infection diseases develop caused by opportunistic microorganisms as a result of immune deficiency. As immune deficiency progresses, these diseases become more severe and, if untreated, lead to the death of the patient. The term "AIDS" means the development of some severe opportunistic diseases (infectious, parasitic or oncological nature) in HIV-infected patients.
Tuberculosis is one of the main causes of death in patients with HIV-infection at the stage of AIDS.
All phthisiatrists/phthisiologists and medical practitioners should maintain a high index of suspicion for active tuberculosis (TB) in any HIV-infected person, especially those with risk factors for acquiring MBT infection. These risk factors include people born or residing in an endemic area for TB infection, homeless, drug injection uses, and those in prison. Individuals with HIVinfection are more likely to develop active TB if infected. Some HIV-infected patients, especially those with more advanced immunosuppression, develop TB rapidly after becoming infected with MBT. In general, HIV-infected patients with a positive tuberculin test will develop active TB at a rate of approximately 8-10% per year.
6.1. STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF HIV
HIV belongs to the subfamily of lentiviruses family of retroviruses. The peculiarity of retroviruses is the ability to implement the reaction of matrix synthesis in reverse direction from RNA to DNA. The HIV virions are spherical particles, the diameter of which is approximately 100-120 nm. This is approximately 60 times smaller than the diameter of the erythrocyte. Fig. 6.1a shows a schematic representation of the structure of HIV.