Rankin J A
Pulmonary Section, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Clin Chest Med. 1988 Sep;9(3):387-93.
The lower respiratory tract of normal healthy individuals is kept sterile and disease-free by formidable local and systemic immune system defenses. In patients with AIDS, these defenses are severely compromised. Undoubtedly, alterations in both local and systemic forces make the host vulnerable to infection by opportunistic organisms. Indeed, substantial evidence suggests that at least a small percentage of macrophages, which normally function alone and in concert with other immune components, can be and are infected with HIV, and do not function normally. Abnormalities with lymphocytes in the lung may contribute to macrophage defective function. Further investigations into the role of lung macrophages and other lower respiratory tract defenses are needed if we are to comprehend fully the mechanisms that lie behind the multitude of pulmonary complications associated with AIDS.
正常健康个体的下呼吸道通过强大的局部和全身免疫系统防御机制保持无菌且无疾病状态。在艾滋病患者中，这些防御机制受到严重损害。毫无疑问，局部和全身力量的改变使宿主易受机会性生物体感染。确实，大量证据表明，至少有一小部分通常单独或与其他免疫成分协同发挥作用的巨噬细胞能够且已经感染了HIV，并且无法正常发挥功能。肺部淋巴细胞的异常可能导致巨噬细胞功能缺陷。如果我们要全面理解与艾滋病相关的众多肺部并发症背后的机制，就需要进一步研究肺部巨噬细胞和其他下呼吸道防御机制的作用。
