HIV/AIDS Concept Map by

HIV infection & process

u32502011 — 2025-04-12 11:36:03 UTC

An infection known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the body's defences against infection. The most severe form of AIDS is known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The bodily fluids of a person with the virus, such as blood, breast milk, semen, and vaginal secretions, can transmit HIV. Kisses, skin ship and meal sharing do not spread it.

Reverse transcriptase

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:17:57 UTC

Integrase

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Protease

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CD4+ cells

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:19:16 UTC

The CD4+ T- cells are a white blood cell that keeps the immune system in place to fight off infections and other diseases.

HIV virus anatomy

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:20:08 UTC

When HIV enters the body, the virus itself has a specific anatomy in a way so it can attach to the CD4 receptors. The virus has these nobs, known as glycoproteins (GP-120).

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:27:08 UTC

This binds to the CD4 receptor and fuses into the cell and releases the enzymes into the cell. This RNA needs to turn into DNA and the reverse transcriptase turns it into double-stranded DNA

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This then needs to integrate itself with the nucleus of the cell.

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This then releases integrase.

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Since this has taken over the cell, the RNA moves up towards the cell’s surface it removes itself from the cell and the new HIV cell releases protease takes the long proteins and cuts them, then finding new cells to infect.

Immune response mechanisms

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:46:47 UTC

Acute-phase proteins, an early cytokine storm, and the activation of natural killer cells are examples of the initial innate immune responses. However, because an innate immune response to HIV-1 could draw vulnerable T cells to the infection centres, it can be harmful. The reason why the immune system fails to prevent HIV is because HIV may multiply primarily in activated T cells and paralyse one of the key elements of the adaptive immune system by infecting CD4+ T cells. Additionally, HIV can create an infection that is latent on CD4+ T cells, which is invisible to CD8+ T cells. As a result, replication can take place later in the infection and produce new virions.

Progression of immunodeficiency

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:47:21 UTC

HIV gradually kills CD4+ T-cells, which are essential for organising the immune response, as it multiplies. The body loses its ability to fight against common illnesses and diseases.

Acute HIV infection

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:47:37 UTC

The initial stage of HIV infection, often appears 2-4 weeks following HIV infection. Some people experience symptoms like the flu during this time, including fever, headache, and rash. HIV attacks and kills the immune system's infection-fighting CD4 cells during the acute stage of infection, when it multiplies quickly and spreads throughout the body. The blood level of HIV is extremely high at that time, which significantly raises the risk of HIV transmission.

Chronic HIV infection

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:47:57 UTC

Chronic HIV infection, sometimes referred to as asymptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency, is the second stage of HIV infection. HIV continues to grow in the body throughout this phase slowly. It's possible for people with long-term HIV infection to show no symptoms at all. Although it may progress more quickly in certain people in general, chronic HIV infection generally progresses to AIDS in ten years or more without ART.

AIDS

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:48:09 UTC

The last and most serious stage of HIV infection is AIDS, which severely damages immunological function. Because of this, the body is unable to combat infections, which are also known as conditions that define AIDS. If a person with HIV has a CD4 count below 200 cells/mm3 or has specific diseases, they are diagnosed with AIDS. Once HIV reaches the AIDS stage, a person can easily spread the virus to others and have a high viral load.

Relationship between declining immune function and the body's ability to fight infections

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:48:32 UTC

Decline in CD4+ T-cells, the HIV targets and destroys CD4+ T-cells, Impaired immune response, lower counts of these cells impair the detection of HIV and immune memory is depleted, Development of AIDS, This occurs when the CD4+count is <200 cells/mm3 and become severe.

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:49:07 UTC

fevers, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, flu-like symptoms, weight loss, night sweats

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:49:28 UTC

fever, fatigue, swollen lymph glands, oral yeast infection, shingles, pneumonia

ART

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:49:56 UTC

ART stands for Antiretroviral Therapy. ART is taking a mix of HIV medications regularly, typically once a month or every two months for injections or daily for pills.

ART is advised for everyone with HIV. These HIV medications help patients with HIV live long, healthy lives, but they cannot cure HIV. ART lowers the chance of HIV transmission. HIV targets and kills the immune system's CD4 T lymphocytes, or CD4 cells, which fight infection. The body finds it more difficult to fight against infections, particularly infections and certain HIV-related cancers, when CD4 cells are depleted.

Systems that are affected:

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Integumentary system

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:53:12 UTC

rashes, herpes

Musculoskeletal system

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:53:41 UTC

muscle and joint pain, risk of osteoporosis

Gastrointestinal system

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:53:58 UTC

diarrhoea, weight loss, thrush,
Respiratory system: pneumonia, tuberculosis

AIDS

u32502011 — 2025-04-13 09:54:16 UTC

sweats, chills, fever that continues, swollen lymph glands, constant white spots on the tongue/ mouth, fatigue, weakness, rapid weight loss, skin rashes or bumps