The diagnosis of infection by HIV it is done from the collection of blood or oral fluid. The virus has a prolonged incubation period before the first symptoms appear, which can delay detection.
When a virus invades the body, it adheres to human cells with the aim of installing itself and producing countless copies of itself – the more copies the virus produces, the greater the viral load in the body. In the case of HIV, the main target are defense cells called T-CD4+ lymphocytes, commonly known as white blood cells.
Antiretroviral drugs precisely prevent the process of viral replication in the human body. By blocking the production of new copies of the virus, the treatment acts to reduce the viral load in the blood.
About 1% of people living with HIV maintain low viral load control, at a lower limit than detection by routinely used assays, without undergoing treatment: these are the so-called elite controllers.
Hypotheses explain the natural control of the infection
The exact reasons why a small group of people manage to control HIV infection naturally remain unknown.
Infectologist Rosana Richtmann, from Hospital Emílio Ribas, in São Paulo, explains that elite controllers have a stable T-CD4 lymphocyte count, an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/ml) and, clinically, do not show symptoms characteristic of infection.
“There are few patients, but they are privileged because they manage without treatment, without using antiretrovirals, to keep the viral load below 50 copies per ml. That’s pretty much an undetectable viral load,” he explains.
The expert points out that cases are very rare and that although the virus is not detected in the blood, the infection can be identified through the serology test, which reveals the presence of specific antibodies against HIV in the body.
“They manage to live naturally with the virus in an excellent way. Most of them do not progress to the disease, to AIDS. However, there is a percentage that can progress to the disease, either due to an immunological imbalance, which can happen over time, eight or ten years later, or due to some other infection”, he says.
Rosana adds that the recommendation to patients is to carry out periodic monitoring of the clinical picture.
“Even if the patient is defined as an elite controller, which is a rarity, an exception to the rule, it is important to make this very clear, he needs medical follow-up because we do not know when he may need some treatment “, highlights.
A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases points out that viral control may be associated with an increased ability of these individuals to fight the infection, either because they have immune system cells with increased function or by genetic inheritance, such as mutations that improve combat to the virus.
“The existence of individuals capable of naturally controlling the infection represents an opportunity to explore which immune system resources allow such control, provides information on virus-host dynamics and reveals a possible target for new drugs or vaccines, a factor that is still not completely understood” , say researchers from the University of San Francisco (USF) in the article.
According to Rosana, the scientific study of the cases of elite controllers can open the way to important discoveries about HIV infection.
“The more we manage to study the genetics of this patient, such as the receptors or absence of receptors in these patients, an immense path opens up in science for future treatments and for the search for a cure for HIV”, he says.
Test your knowledge about HIV transmission
Importance of diagnosis and treatment
The campaign red december highlights the importance of testing for the timely diagnosis of HIV infection. The treatment increases the expectation and quality of life, reducing the risks of complications.
Antiretrovirals have been distributed in Brazil by the Unified Health System (SUS) since 1996. There are at least 22 drugs, in 38 different pharmaceutical presentations, according to the Ministry of Health.
The ministry advocates starting treatment soon after HIV diagnosis. The tests can be performed free of charge at Testing and Counseling Centers (know where to take the test🇧🇷
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
