2006-12-01 06:54:22 · 12 answers · asked by buvada 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
The short answer is yes, there are people who are naturally immune to HIV.
The long answer gets a bit technical if you aren't familiar with immunology or virology but here it is in case anyone is interested. I first want to say that TonalC1's answer is entirely correct, I'm just going into a bit of the background here.
If you ignore the stuff I have put in the brackets its much more readable!
CD4 is a (membrane bound extracellular) receptor used by some immune cells (T helpers, Macrophages, Dendritic Cells, and Monocytes) to help detect foreign cells in the body (it helps to amplify the action of T cell receptors after stimulation with the major histocompatability complex.)
Upon finding a cell with a CD4 receptor (CD4+ cell) HIV (surface glycoprotein GP120) will bind to CD4 and another protein on the surface of the cell. This other protein is commonly a receptor which detects immune signals (it's a chemokine receptor, commonly CCR5 or CXCR4).
Once HIV has bound to these two proteins it will be able to infect the cell (protein binding changes the conformation of GP120 exposing GP41 which is able to join the viral and host membranes.)
Some people have a slightly different shape immune signal receptor (Its commonly due to a mutation which leaves it slightly truncated) which means that HIV cannot bind to it and as such cannot infect the cell.
Phew, heavy going isn't it?
To sum it up: HIV need specific proteins to be present on it's target cell, if there is something wrong with one of them then HIV cannot infect the cell. Some people have a slightly differently shaped protein, it still works OK but it means that HIV cannot recognise it and as such cannot infect it's target cell.
2006-12-01 11:40:55 · answer #1 · answered by alexjcharlton 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They believe that some (a very few) people may have a natural immunity, but not in the way you think. They may get the virus, but they can have it for 20+ years with no symptoms or very few. They don't know why this is yet. I read this in Time magazine last year and in a medical journal for infectious disease.
2006-12-01 06:57:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm sure that there are-I believe there are studies being done on sex workers in some African nations who have (without a doubt through unprotected sex at their customers' request) come in contact with it, but do not display the symptoms of weakened immune response, lethargy, and discomfort that diagnosed sufferers do exhibit. Regardless of whether immunity exists or not, AIDS is uncurable and protected sex and awareness are better tools than speculative immunity. Please see www.youthaids.org to find out more on HIV/AIDS Prevention. *If you don't have your red ribbon on, there are still nine more hours of World AIDS Day to go!*
2006-12-01 07:06:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Apparently, yes.
About 10% of Caucasian Europeans appear to be immune.
Scientists have suggested that a genetic mutation called CCR5-delta-32 - which confers protection against HIV infection - is found more often in Europeans because of genetic selection created in major historical infectious diseases outbreaks like bubonic plague (Black Death) or smallpox epidemics.
2006-12-01 07:04:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, probably. There is a lot of fascinating information on this question. There was a village in Britain whose inhabitants seem to have been immune to the Black Death, and their descendants living today seem to have a natural immunity to HIV.
http://www.bioedonline.org/news/news.cfm?art=1635
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/126/116328.htm
2006-12-01 06:56:27 · answer #5 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about immunity but some people have tested positive and later negative so I suppose that they do to a certain extent but it might not mean they are immune to all strains.
2006-12-01 07:28:07 · answer #6 · answered by bess 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They say that some people have more immunity than others, so maybe some would have a complete natural immunity to it.
2006-12-03 09:49:13 · answer #7 · answered by pixles 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe. The cure for aids is all infected cannot have sex, share needles, or any of the other ways to transmit it. When we as humans are willing to enforce this, there will be no more aids.
2006-12-01 07:04:47 · answer #8 · answered by GOPneedsarealconservative 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Very likely
2006-12-01 06:56:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who knows but I wish was me. Then I would be the richest man on planet earth.....
2006-12-01 06:57:42 · answer #10 · answered by Marshall Lee 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋