title: HIV and hormones.
abstract: The term "hormone" broadly refers to any type of chemical messenger, but is most often used to denote chemicals produced by the endocrine glands. Hormones play a key role in maintaining homeostasis (a steady state of equilibrium) and regulating many bodily processes--everything from growth and metabolism to sexual function and reproduction. Over- or underproduction of endocrine hormones can contribute to a wide variety of medical conditions. Diseases such as HIV that affect the whole body can interfere with proper endocrine function, and hormones, in turn, can affect HIV disease progression.
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Highleyman
mesh_terms: D004703:Endocrine System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones