ABSTRACT
The availability of potent combination treatment regimens that suppress the replication of Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has led to dramatic changes in HIV-1-related morbidity and mortality where these therapies are available. In 1998, the NIH Panel to Define Principles of Therapy of HIV Infection summarized the principles by which treatment of HIV-1-infected patients should be undertaken. Although additional information about the benefits and risks of antiretroviral therapy has since become available, these principles remain generally valid for the treatment of non-pregnant adults who are chronically infected with HIV-1. HIV-1 replication is the ultimate cause of the various conditions that constitute acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV-1 appears to act both through the destruction of CD4+ lymphocytes and through direct effects of the virus. Although the time from initial infection to the development of AIDS varies widely, few HIV-1-infected people avoid the consequences of this infection in the absence of effective treatment. HIV-1 replication leads to AIDS largely by causing destruction and sequestration of CD4+ lymphocytes.
