title: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
abstract: A retrovirus designated HTLV-III has been recovered from patients with AIDS and patients with pre-AIDS syndrome. This virus, which appears to be the cause of AIDS, attacks and suppresses T-helper lymphocytes, rendering the host susceptible to a variety of serious protozoal, fungal, mycobacterial, bacterial and viral infections, as well as neoplasms. Pneumocystis carinii and cytomegalovirus are frequent causes of pulmonary infiltrates in AIDS.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction