Mechanistic insights on immunosenescence and chronic immune activation in HIV-tuberculosis co-infection

World J Virol. 2015 Feb 12;4(1):17-24. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v4.i1.17.

Abstract

Immunosenescence is marked by accelerated degradation of host immune responses leading to the onset of opportunistic infections, where senescent T cells show remarkably higher ontogenic defects as compared to healthy T cells. The mechanistic association between T-cell immunosenescence and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease progression, and functional T-cell responses in HIV-tuberculosis (HIV-TB) co-infection remains to be elaborately discussed. Here, we discussed the association of immunosenescence and chronic immune activation in HIV-TB co-infection and reviewed the role played by mediators of immune deterioration in HIV-TB co-infection necessitating the importance of designing therapeutic strategies against HIV disease progression and pathogenesis.

Keywords: Cluster of differentiation 38; Human immunodeficiency virus-tuberculosis co-infection; Immu-nosenescence.

Publication types

  • Review