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- The opportunistic infections that are associated with HIV do not cause ADC. Instead, HIV causes ADC. However, researchers do not know how the virus damages the brain cells.
- HIV may affect the brain through several mechanisms. The HIV proteins may damage nerve cells directly or indirectly.
- Many researchers suggest that HIV damages the neurons indirectly. According to some researchers, HIV either infects or activates macrophages and microglia. These cells then produce toxins that can stimulate a series of reactions, which instruct neurons to kill themselves (abnormal neuronal apoptosis). The infected macrophages and microglia also appear to produce chemokines and cytokines (proteins that mediate and regulate immunity, inflammation and hematopoiesis), which can also affect neurons, as well as astrocytes. The affected astrocytes, which normally protect and nurture neurons, may now end up damaging them.
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