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About the Authors:
Randi K. Berg
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Jesper Melchjorsen
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Johanna Rintahaka
Affiliation: Unit of Excellence for Immunotoxicology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Elisabeth Diget
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Stine Søby
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Kristy A. Horan
Affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
Robert J. Gorelick
Affiliation: AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America
Sampsa Matikainen
Affiliation: Unit of Excellence for Immunotoxicology, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Carsten S. Larsen
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Lars Ostergaard
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Søren R. Paludan
Affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
Trine H. Mogensen
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital - Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark
Introduction
HIV is a retrovirus that targets mononuclear cells of the immune system and establish lifelong infection with progressive immunodeficiency, susceptibility to opportunistic infections, and the development of AIDS if left untreated [1]. The natural history of HIV infection is characterized by an acute infection with high levels of viraemia and irreversible damage to the immune system, in particular the gut associated lymphoid tissue. This is followed by a chronic phase with persistent immune activation and depletion of CD4 T cells, ultimately resulting in progressive immune exhaustion and profound immunodeficiency [2]–[5]. Based on the observation that initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy leads to a rapid decline in immune activation, which is correlated with a significant reduction in HIV viraemia, a direct contribution of HIV particles to immune activation has been proposed [6], [7].
Since one of the fundamental characteristics of HIV pathogenesis is the failure of the immune system to initially recognize and control viral infection, early events taking place during the very first hours and days of infection are likely to be of central importance. The innate immune system constitutes the first line of defence against invading pathogens and is also a...