title: HIV and direct damage of organs: disease spectrum before and during the highly active antiretroviral therapy era.
abstract: Evidence derived from numerous studies supports a primary role for HIV in the development of direct damage of different organs eventually being responsible for the appearance of dementia, cardiomyopathy, nephropathy and hematologic abnormalities. As a result of the introduction of effective antiretroviral combination therapies a dramatic decrease of AIDS-associated opportunistic infections and malignancies was observed; however, the role of HAART on HIV organ damage is less well appreciated. In this review we discuss the most common HIV-associated diseases, their pathogenesis as well as the possible changing scenery in the HAART era.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moroni
authors.forename: Spinello
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antinori
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000209:etiology; D016263:AIDS-Associated Nephropathy / Q000209:etiology; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000821:virology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000821:virology; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans