HIV stands for a Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and it is basically a virus which depletes human organism of antibodies that fight infections, viruses and bacteria.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, and that’s when number of body’s CD4 cells subside under 200 per cubic millimeter, leaving the organism open for opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infection is a name for diseases related to HIV and the body that’s in a stage of total defenselessness.

How does our immune system work?

First barrier that defends our organism from infections, disease or bacteria is our undamaged skin. If our skin is damaged for example if we cut ourselves, that cut leaves an open door for a infection. Our body’s second lines of defense are cells called antibodies that track down and fight the infection until our body is free of antigen (foreign cells that our immune system recognizes).

There are two ways body fights infections:

First is the way based on production of antibodies, the HIV test usually discovers specific antibodies organism produced as the answer to presence of HIV virus.

Second way is cellular immunity and it is based on response of CD4 and CD8 cells.

Those cells are type of white blood cells.CD4 cells are also known as helper cells because to help in response they send signals to CD8 and other immune system cells.

HIV and the bodyCD8 are also known as killer cells, because they recognize and kill infected cells, sometimes the function of CD4, and CD8 cells overlap. Macrophages are one more type of little bigger white blood cells that swallow infected organisms, and waste matter originated by dead cells. They also send signals to other immune system cells. Generally body uses cellular immunity to fight viruses and that is the way body fights HIV virus.

How does HIV affect organism immune system?

HIV is especially difficult challenge for our body, and that is because the virus is using the organism antibodies to reproduce. It finds a host a CD4 cells and reproduce inside of them, when the cells die a large amount of virus is release, causing the body to produce more CD4 cells, virus then reproduce in new cells creating more and more virus until it depletes body’s immune cells(CD4cells) and energy to almost none. That’s when CD4 count test is used to see if the HIV virus developed into the AIDS.

There are 4 phases of HIV virus, first one is primary, that right after person is infected, it shows no signs of any illness, only 20 percent of infected people show some flu like symptoms, headache or a fever. Second phase is asymptomatic, that’s when there are no symptoms but the virus in organism is very active reproducing itself in the host cell. Third phase is called symptomatic, that’s when body’s immune system is so weak that it can’t fight off any of the infections, viruses or bacteria, that normal organism would defend itself from. This phase varies from person to person and it depends on a variety of factors. Last phase is when person gets diagnosed with AIDS. Its definition varies from country to country but in United States person gets diagnosed if CD4 count is lower than 200.In other countries infected person gets diagnosed by the diseases they develop. They develop mostly skin diseases, lung infections, tuberculosis and other.

Cure for AIDS has not been found yet and when individual gets infected, it is for life, if not careful (if person has unprotected sex) he/she is potentially danger for its surrounding, there are multiple medications that can help infected person get better and get their CD4 count up, but eventually organism loses the battle.

Only thing we can do to make sure we don’t get infected is to always use a condom.

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