Austin Kozich

4/27/15
Biology 1090
Mr.Neilsen

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (H.I.V.)

Have you ever known someone with the human immunodeficiency
virus (H.I.V.) or even acquired immunodeficiency disease (A.I.D.S)? Perhaps a
loved one or an associate at work? HIV is a very aggressive virus the kills off
the immune system eventually leading to AIDS. HIV is transmitted ONLY
through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and
even breast milk on certain occasions. It has been transmitted through
sharing needles but most often through unprotected sex of all form with an
infected partner. Its usually not transmitted through kissing unless both
partakers have a cut on or in their mouths. You cant catch the virus by an
infected person coughing or sneezing in the room, or through the well-known
myth of public toilet seats and bug bites. Even with the complexity and
strength of the immune system, some viruses, like HIV are able to disable
the immune system. Once HIV has been transferred, it begins to disable
helper T, or T4 cells in the body. The loss of helper T cells causes immune
deficiency and begins to weaken individuals immune system.
Infection with HIV that goes untreated usually shows some early signs
of infection such as feeling fatigue, ill, and symptoms that typically remind
you of the flu. These symptoms are caused by the first nonspecific immune
response to any virus or disease that comes across the immune system. Due
to HIV killing off T-cells, which help protect people from bacteria and
diseases, these symptoms may last a number of weeks. It is estimated that
around 6-12 weeks, the immune system of most infected people has had
enough time to make an immune response that can handle the virus
temporarily, allowing people to recover from the flu like symptoms. Once this
occurs the individual has enter the asymptomatic phase. Individuals in the
asymptomatic period will be symptomless and could remain this way for as
long as 10 years. During the asymptomatic period, the HIV virus in the blood
stream is pretty low in count, but is never removed, instead, the virus persist
in the lymph nodes. In all HIV infected individuals who are not receiving an
expensive extensive drug treatment, the immune system eventually loses
control over the virus. HIV ultimately wins the battle over the immune
system due to the evolution of HIV within an individual.
Evolution of the HIV virus within an infected individual can be
extremely fast. The evolution of HIV is what causes the virus to take off and
begin to reproduce vast numbers of its self. The HIV population is not
unchanging during the asymptomatic period, it evolves in response to the
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Austin Kozich
4/27/15
Biology 1090
Mr.Neilsen

environment created by the individuals immune system. The HIV virus is

constantly reproducing as in continues to infect cells in the lymph nodes, and
anytime there is reproduction, mutation can occur. The reverse transcriptase
enzyme of HIV is highly known to be susceptible to making errors. Scientist
estimate that some, if not all, HIV particles produced have at least one
difference from the HIV virus it arose from. As a result, during the
asymptomatic period, new variants of HIV rise, and antibodies previously
made by the individuals immune system against prior variations of HIV,
which influenced the asymptomatic period, do not recognize the new
variants produced. The frequent mutation and exceptionally fast
reproduction of HIV, results in a population of the virus within the
asymptomatic individual, which could contain about 1 billion different types
of HIV. With this many different types of HIV variants, it is almost guaranteed
that 1 or more has antigens that are not instantly recognized by the
individuals immune system. Due to these variants of HIV avoiding the
individuals antibodies produced by the immune system, it can grow to
incredibly large populations extremely fast. HIVs extremely fast evolution
seems to be the cause of the end of the asymptomatic period in the
individual. The immune system is able to produce antibodies to a large
amount of different HIV types, but eventually the vast number of different
HIV variants that the immune system must produce these antibodies to,
becomes increasingly overwhelming. Finally one variant of HIV breaks free
and escapes the immune systems control for a long period of time, in which
a large number of T-cells become infected with this variant that escaped and
are disabled, making the individuals immune deficiency worsen, because Tcells are what fights off intruders. This triggers a period that is symptomfilled or commonly referred to as FULL BLOWN AIDS. Due to evolution, the
virus usually follows this pattern of symptoms, asymptomatic, and then
symptom-filled.
Once the onset of AIDS has set in, common infections by germs found
on our bodies in low levels, such as Pneumocystis Jiroveci, which is a fungus
that is found in almost everyones body by the age of 30. Pneumocystis
Jiroveci is held in check in a NON-infected individuals immune system, but in
infected individuals, this fungus often is the main cause of pneumonia and
extreme lung damage. Pneumocystis Jiroveci is considered an opportunistic
infection because it affects individuals when an opportunity arises in which
the immune system is typically weakened. Without expensive drug treatment
and therapies, the persistent evolution of the virus within the individuals
body, eventually exhaust their ability to control this deadly virus. The rapid
changing HIV genome has also made it very difficult for scientist to develop a
vaccine or cure against HIV. Researchers have been trying to use similar
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Austin Kozich
4/27/15
Biology 1090
Mr.Neilsen

creatures, such as rats, to get a better understanding of our common killing

pathogens like cancer and HIV. Scientist have been using extracts of red
algae to stop the reproduction of several different viruses in human tissue
grown in test center dishes, but as of right now, no drugs from algae are
available to consumers. With great interest in a vaccine or cure for HIV, these
organisms remain to be a focus for bio prospectors in search of a future cure.