AIDS Etiology and Pathophysiology Summary

Summary

Etiology

There are 3 major routes of transmission of the HIV:

• Sexual Transmission
• Transmission via blood or blood products
• Mother to Child Transmission

The risk of transmission via tears, urine and saliva is considered to be negligible

Pathophysiology

• Entry to host cells (CD4+ lymphocytes, macrophages and monocytes) using gp120 with the help of chemokine co-receptors.
• Life cycle of HIV (8 stages):

1. Viral binding
2. Entry and Uncoating
3. Reverse transcription
4. Integration into host chromosomal DNA
5. Synthesis of viral DNA
6. Translation and production of Viral proteins
7. Assembly of virus and budding from the host cell
8. Maturation

• Then the virus is ready for infection