Event

Effective antiretroviral therapy has significantly reduced infectious complications in HIV infection by limiting the loss of immune function and promoting immune reconstitution. However, the decline in infectious complications have been offset by an increased frequency of pulmonary and vascular diseases associated with chronic inflammation. Interestingly, the types of complications seen in HIV infected subjects today mirror those seen in an older non-HIV infected population, leading to the suggestion that HIV infection is a model for premature aging. This session will explore similarities and differences in lung disease found in HIV infected subjects and non-HIV infected aging populations. Potential similar pathogenic mechanisms leading to chronic inflammation will be discussed, including alterations in host immunity resulting in T cell immunosenescence, changes in the lung microbial composition (with a focus on viral changes), and excess oxidative stress. This work suggests a role for studying HIV infection as a potential model for chronic lung diseases found in the normal aging population.