title: Immune activation is a dominant factor in the pathogenesis of African AIDS.
abstract: The AIDS epidemic in Africa is very different from the epidemic in the West. As suggested here by Zvi Bentwich, Alexander Kalinkovich and Ziva Weisman, this appears to be primarily a consequence of the over-activation of the immune system in the African population, owing to the extremely high prevalence of infections, particularly helminthic, in Africa. Such activation shifts the cytokine balance towards a T helper 0/2 (Th0/2)-type response, which makes the host more susceptible to infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and less able to cope with it.
authors.affiliation: R. Ben-Ari Institute of Clinical Immunology, Kaplan Hospital, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bentwich
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalinkovich
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weisman
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology*; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines