Increasing cerebrospinal fluid chemokine concentrations despite undetectable cerebrospinal fluid HIV RNA in HIV-1-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy

Article Abstract:

Researchers report that some HIV patients who have a good response to AIDS drugs may still have increased levels of inflammatory substances in their cerebrospinal fluid. This could indicate that HIV continues to reproduce in the brain but cannot be detected by RNA tests.

Inflammation, Inflammation mediators

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Antibody response to viral proteins U (vpu) and R (vpr) in HIV-1-infected individuals

Article Abstract:

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) contains both structural and accessory genes; each gene codes for a protein. Antibodies to all the protein products of the genes have been found in individuals who are infected with HIV. The association between antibodies to the accessory gene-products, protein U and protein R, and the clinical stage or disease progression is not understood. The presence or absence of an antibody response to protein U and protein R was analyzed every three months over a period of 18 months in individuals who were infected with HIV. The subjects were 72 men in whom antibodies to the structural proteins of HIV developed during the study (a process known as seroconversion) and 196 men who already had antibodies to the structural proteins but did not have any symptoms of disease upon entry into the study. Antibodies to protein U or protein R were detected early in HIV infection, within 12 months of seroconversion. Antibodies to protein R were seen persistently in 26 percent of all the men in the study and antibodies to protein U were detected persistently in 43 percent of the men. Antibodies were seen transiently in 3 percent of the men for protein R and in 7 percent of the men for protein U, and intermittently in 18 and 13 percent, respectively. Antibodies to protein R were not seen at all in 53 percent of the men; antibodies to protein U were never detected in 37 percent of the men. The presence of antibodies to proteins R and U did not relate to whether the men had just seroconverted or they already had antibodies to HIV structural proteins. Therefore, no association could be seen between the presence of an antibody response to either protein R or protein U and the disease progression or clinical stage of infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

AIDS (Disease)

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Effects of active treatment discontinuation in patients with a [CD4.sup.+] T-cell nadir greater than 350 cells/[mm.sup.3]

Article Abstract:

The safety and efficacy of discontinuing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in HIV-1-positive patients who initiated HAART at a [CD4.sup.+] T-cell count greater than 350 cells/[mm.sup.3] are evaluated. The results have shown that there is no improvement found in the quality of life, though HAART can safely be interrupted in patients with a high CD4 T-cell nadir.

United States, Science & research, Health aspects, Research, Risk factors, HIV patients, Virus replication, Highly active antiretroviral therapy, Clinical report

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