AIDS reconstruction

Antiretroviral therapy helps to maintain the immune system, and even at the stage of AIDS can restore the immune status and bring the health of the norm. But sometimes happens that a person with low immune status, despite the effective action of therapy, all of a sudden deterioration. This so-called "syndrome of immune reconstruction, which can be very dangerous, though rare. In this article, the American specialist Michael Kichoki is about what this syndrome and what to do with his appearance.

There is LZ with HIV, hand with the opportunistic diseases - the defeat of the right eye due to TSMV infection. After several days of treatment of eye disease significantly reduced and LZ discharged from the hospital. A week later, he turned to a specialist on HIV and began receiving standard antiretroviral therapy. It was only logical. His eyes recovered, and his aim was to suppress reproduction of a doctor with HIV in his body to keep the immune system and prevent such infections in the future.

However, after several weeks of receiving anti-retro viral drugs, he developed fever, visual impairment and swelling around the eye. Strangely, it was that the number of CD4 he has begun to rise very rapidly, immediately after the start of treatment. What's happening? His immune system is restored, but the eye condition has deteriorated significantly. LZ asked the doctor, and he was diagnosed - immune deficiency syndrome reconstruction.

What is immune deficiency syndrome reconstruction? Reconstruction of literally rebuilding. It sounds like something good, why did exacerbation LZ has an eye infection? To understand this strange and paradoxical syndrome, you need to first understand the work of the immune system.

The immune system

The immune system - is layered system to protect the body from various infections. The immune system includes several types of cells and processes that recognize and neutralize bacteria, parasites and viruses. Unfortunately, when HIV is happening damage the immune system, because HIV is attacking one of its cells - cells CD4. So if you have HIV need to monitor levels of CD4, the higher the level of CD4: the better your immune system works.