Question

Pick one of the most common causes of death in regard to an autoimmune or infectious disease. Explain how the cause you have chosen ultimately leads to death. Are there any emerging treatments for this disease?

Answer 1

AIDS.

HIV infects humancells with CD4 receptors on their surfaces. Immune dysfunction in HIV disease is caused predominantly by damage to and destruction of CD4+ Tells. Viral activity destroys about 1 billion CD4+T cell every day. Fortunately the bone marrow and thymus are able to produce enough CD4+T cells to replace the destroyed cells for many years. Eventually ,however the ability of HIV to destroy CD4+ T cells exceed the bodys ability to replace the cells. The result is a decline in the CD 4+ Tcell count and impaired immune function. In HIV infection a point is eventually reached where so many CD4+ Tells have been destroyed that not enough remain to regulate immune responses. The major concern related to immune suppression is the development of opportunistic diseases, I. E infections and cancers that iccur in immunosuppressed patients that can lead to disability, disease and death.

A preferred approach to opportunistic diseases is to prevent their occurence. A number of opportunistic infections associated with HIV can be delayed or prevented through the use of adequate ART vaccines and disease -specific prevention measures. Advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic diseases have contributed significantly to increased life expectancy. Despite considerable research a vaccine for HIV still eludes scientists. Because HIV is a global problem, with developing countries bearing the brunt of the epidemic, there is also a concern about developing a vaccine that can be widely distributed in a short amount of time at an acceptable cost. Despite the overwhelming nature of these issues ,considerable research is in progress. The development of a successful vaccine would be extremely helpful in controlling the epidemic, but would not replace current prevention method because no vaccine is likely to be 100%effective.