摘要：Summary. Studies on HIV virology and pathogenesis address the complex mechanisms that result
in the HIV infection of the cell and destruction of the immune system. These studies are focused
on both the structure and the replication characteristics of HIV and on the interaction of the
virus with the host. Continuous updating of knowledge on structure, variability and replication
of HIV, as well as the characteristics of the host immune response, are essential to refine virological
and immunological mechanisms associated with the viral infection and allow us to identify
key molecules in the virus life cycle that can be important for the design of new diagnostic assays
and specific antiviral drugs and vaccines. In this article we review the characteristics of molecular
structure, replication and pathogenesis of HIV, with a particular focus on those aspects that are
important for the design of diagnostic assays.
