CD4+T cells are the immune system's key infection fighters and the entity that allows HIV to enter, attach and infect the body's immune system. The CD4+T cells (also called T4 cells) are disabled and destroyed by the virus, often with no symptoms, causing a significant decrease in the blood levels of T4 cells. In the advanced stages of HIV, the body may have fewer than 200 T4 cells, while a healthy adult's count is 1,000 or more. In this way, the body's immune system is continuously weakened from the moment of infection and the inability of the immune system to fight infection opens the door to opportunistic infections.
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