Immunodeficiency in HIV infection and AIDS

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As a contribution to the controversy about AIDS development, this volume identifies HIV infection associated with CD4 depletion as the primary cause, severely aggravated by secondary immunological disorders, which are described. The book provides a comprehensive review of cellular immune defects associated with HIV infection as well as of immunological assays and parameters useful for the routine evaluation of immune deficiencies. Authored by researchers from leading institutions with the longest follow-up of HIV-1 infected patients in Europe and the USA, the articles summarize both the normal ranges of immune parameters and their changes during the various stages of HIV disease. The first section of the book focuses on the clinical use of CD4 lymphocyte counts as the best surrogate marker available so far for guiding the laboratory assessment of AIDS progression. A further section concentrates on defects of lymphocyte proliferation and specific immunity in asymptomatic HIV-positive patients. The final section deals with recent advances in understanding the functional immunopathology of AIDS.