Smith P D, Mai U E
Cellular Immunology Section, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 1992 Jun;21(2):331-45.
In summary, gastrointestinal manifestations are a major complication of HIV infection. These manifestations present clinically as early, intermediate, and late-phase enteric illness due to HIV itself or the acquisition of opportunistic infections and neoplasms. HIV-induced defects in lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes, which circulate through and populate the gastrointestinal mucosa, and a sequence of HIV-dependent alterations in mucosal integrity represent the fundamental immunopathophysiologic basis for these clinical manifestations.
