Original scientific paper
Biological, Epidemiological and Clinical Basis of Understanding Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
J. Begovac
S. Židovec Lepej
T. Kniewald
M. Lisić
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes a chronic infection beginning in most
individuals with an acute syndrome followed by an asymptomatic stage and progresses
in untreated adults over a median of 10 years to the late stage called AIDS. The virus
rapidly and enormously replicates from the initiation of infection. The principal immunodeficiency
caused by HIV is depletion in the subset of T lymphocytes referred to as
helper T cells. New anti-HIV drugs given in potent combination regimens have demonstrated
impressive efficacy by both clinical and laboratory measures, and have provided
evidence that drugs can suppress HIV replication and disease manifestations. HIV/AIDS
is still uncommon in Croatia. In the period from 1986 to 2000, 171 patients with AIDS
have been reported of whom 101 (59%) died. The incidence of AIDS in 2000 was about 4
cases per million inhabitants. Recent testing of injection drug users at a needle exchange
program (Help, Split) revealed an HIV incidence of about 1%.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
28323
URI
Publication date:
18.6.2001.
Visits: 1.167 *