HIV-related lung disorders

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically altered the spectrum of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. This has been attributed to improvements in the lung microenvironment leading to enhanced pulmonary immunity, either by preventing the progressive loss of immune function or by actually promoting immune restoration. However, these changes have been accompanied by the recognition of new pulmonary complications in HIV-infected subjects, especially those associated with immune reconstitution. In this review, we will describe how HIV infection alters the normal pulmonary environment, highlight the effect of HAART on these perturbations and discuss potential complications of HAART in the lung, focusing on the pulmonary immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS).

Section editor:Clay Braden Marsh – Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, USA