title: [HIV and macrophage].
abstract: The macrophage is the chief target of the HIV, as well as its main vector. Macrophages are infected very early by monocytotropic HIV strains. They are not destroyed, and probably contribute both to host defense mechanisms and to perpetuation and dissemination of the infection. HIV-infected macrophages have been demonstrated not only in lymph nodes but also in peripheral organs such as the lung and brain, where they produce cytotoxic mediators that contribute to the development of pulmonary and neurologic lesions. Functional impairment of HIV-infected macrophages may play a role in the immune deficiency characteristic of AIDS. Infected macrophages are a reservoir and a sanctuary for the HIV, by virtue of which the virus can escape detection by the immunologic surveillance system. This set of properties makes the HIV-infected macrophage an ideal agent of the propagation and perpetuation of HIV infection. Work aimed at unraveling the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie HIV-macrophage interactions can be expected to result in new therapeutic strategies.
authors.affiliation: Institut Cochin de Génétique Moléculaire, INSERM U 332, Paris, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Russo-Marie
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006678:HIV / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D014162:Transfection
vernacular_title: VIH et macrophage.