The English acronym AIDS ( Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome ) is used to indicate the disease caused by infection by the human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus ).
HIV has the peculiarity of infecting CD4 lymphocytes, a type of cell essential for acquired immunity . During the course of the infection, there is a gradual reduction of the elements responsible for the defense of the organism, until the collapse of the immune system . A person can be infected with HIV without knowing it, as it is possible to live with the silent virus for over 20 years before experiencing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome . AIDS patients become progressively susceptible to a wide range of infectious microorganisms, many of which are harmless under normal conditions. Death, in general, is a consequence of the effects of one of these opportunistic infections.
In conclusion, the term AIDS is used when it means the overt disease, which occurs when the immune system is weakened by HIV infection.
