Hiv Affects B Cells

It has been established for quite some time that HIV targets the CD4+ T cell of the immune system

. This damage has been the subject of much research as the CD4+ T cell is an extremely vital part of the human immune system. However, it has also been found that the virus targets another subset of immune system cells, the B cell, an antibody producing cell.

The virus appears to work against itself in that the virus activates the immune system. However, it then targets those activated cells as a means to reproduce, effectively destroying or mutating the cells which prohibits the immune system from effectively combating the disease. It was first noted over twenty years ago, by Doctor H. Clifford Lane and his associates at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that HIV did not solely target the CD4+ T cell but the B cells as well. A number of tactics utilized by the virus have now been identified through subsequent research.

It was found that the B cells of infected individuals showed progressively more dysfunctional behaviour when the viral load was not kept under control by means of antiretroviral treatments. This dysfunction is the result of activation by the virus rather than by means of other natural triggers. The B cells changed structurally and produced an excess of non essential antibodies. They also did not respond in a normal manner to immune system signals and showed an increased tendency to die by way of apoptsis or programmed cell death.

It was found that there was a set of over forty genes in the B cells which were over expressed in patients with high HIV viral loads which was not the case in individuals where the viral load was controlled by means of antiretroviral medication and in individuals who were HIV negative. This led to the discovery of two pathways which primed the B cells for apoptosis. Elements from these pathways were primed by the virus.

Another outcome of the study was the discovery of the B Lymphocyte Stimulator (blys or BAFF) and BAFF-R, a docking molecule which is essential to the development and survival of the B cell. It was found that patients with a high viral load had reduced levels of BAFF-R on the surface of the B cells which made the B cell more likely to die prematurely. This discovery led to the question of whether similar conditions existed for other immune system cells, such as the CD4+ T cell, which are affected by the virus. Further studies are planned to discover the answer to this question.

It is hoped that further study in this area will lead to improved treatment methods for individuals infected with HIV. A deeper understanding of the sub cellular level effects of the virus is required to further enhance treatment procedures and medications currently available. Only time will tell us whether a cure for HIV infection will become available or not.

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by: Neville Parmley

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