AIDS (hah)

[Capsid]

Yes, yes.

I must have confused them with something else.

Aren't there viruses whose DNA has become part of some species' DNA due to freak accidents ?

HIV as with all retroviruses become part of the host (human for HIV) DNA where they are described as proviruses. Effectively they are strands of DNA in our genome as you stated, but I wouldn't call them hidden.

 

[Belz...]

I meant, integrated into our DNA and passed on to future generations.

 

[Capsid]

I meant, integrated into our DNA and passed on to future generations.

Yes that can happen such as with endogenous retroviruses, but they have to be integrated into germ cells (eggs and sperm) for them to be inherited. HIV integrates into CD4+ T lymphocytes which are somatic cells (not germ cells).

 

[kellyb]

Yes that can happen such as with endogenous retroviruses, but they have to be integrated into germ cells (eggs and sperm) for them to be inherited. HIV integrates into CD4+ T lymphocytes which are somatic cells (not germ cells).

Interesting. I'd always wondered what the deal was with that...

 

[Belz...]

Yes that can happen such as with endogenous retroviruses, but they have to be integrated into germ cells (eggs and sperm) for them to be inherited. HIV integrates into CD4+ T lymphocytes which are somatic cells (not germ cells).

Indeed.

Thanks.

 

[Deetee]

http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd?linkVars=SessionID%3D07072013125746800615360046%26BROWSER_STATE%3DGMResults%26ORBagentPort%3D14600%26GM2K_FORM%3DGMResults%26LAST_HIDDEN_TIMESTAMP%3D1184951578950%26UserSearchText%3DZVITAMBO%2Btrial%26sb_action%3DExpand%2BItem%2B%253A%2B1%26HIDDEN_TIMESTAMP%3D1184951596441

But what is most odd, is the number of HIV+ mothers who gave birth to HIV- babies. And that late stage HIV/AIDS was linked to infant mortality, when they didn't have HIV. Lets be clear on this, mothers HIV status effected the chance of baby being dead in the first two years of life.
What does that mean?

Robinson, we responded before about this anomaly - that kids who didn't have HIV had a greater risk of death if their mother was HIV positive rather than HIV negative.
(We gave a couple of possible explanations, one of which related to poor passive maternal antibody transfer to the infant, increasing their vulnerability to infection.)

However, you might be interested in this study. It shows the same phenomenon, but in New York of all places.
Seems that trauma was a big factor; either accidental or non-accidental. This probably reflects upon the social setting and psychological state of the new mothers (most of whom are likely to be drug users).