Researchers measure amount of
HIV
For the first time, scientists have measured
the amount of HTV in the blood of people with
ARC and AIDS. Using a difficult laboratory
technique, these researchers found that people
with ARC and AIDS have over 100 times
more HIV in their blood than do people who
are infected with HIV but are otherwise
healthy. However, PWAs who received AZT
had less HIV than did PWAs who did not take
the drug. This technique for measuring HIV
may also be useful for showing the
effectiveness of drugs used to fight HIV.
Reference: D. Ho and others. Quantitation
o f HIV-1 in the blood o f infected persons. The
New England Journal of Medicine. December
14,1989, pp: 1621-1625.
antibody test. Using a newly developed test
— called DNA enzymatic amplification —
that detects tiny pieces of HIV, researchers at
Northwestern University Medical School
found pieces of HIV in the blood cells of gay
men between 6 to 42 months before they
showed signs of infection detectable by the
usual HIV-anti body test and Western Blot.
The men were part of a long-term study that
collected Mood every six months since 1984.
Twenty-four men who were uninfected at the
start of the study later became infected with
HIV. The researchers thawed previously
collected blood from these men and tested the
blood cells for pieces of HIV. Twenty of the
24 men were infected with HIV at least six
months before they had positive results for the
usual HIV-antibody test, and two men were
infected as long as 42 months.
Reference: Steven Wolinsky and others. HIV-
1 infection a median c f 18 months before a
diagnostic Western Blot. Annals of Internal
Medicine. December 15,1989, pp: 961-971.
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Z U R L I N D E N
No HIV in urine
Researchers could not find any sign of
HIV in urine from people infected with HIV.
Although all of the 48 people in this study had
HIV in their blood, and half of them had ARC
or AIDS, none of these HIV-infected people
had HIV in their urine. The researchers
conclude that the risk of becoming infected
with HIV through urine is very low or
impossible.
Reference: P. Skolnik and others. Absence o f
infectious HIV-1 in the urine o f seropositive
viremic subjects. Journal of Infectious
Diseases. December, 1989, p p : 1056-1058.
Insects don’t spread HIV
Bedbugs and mosquitos don’t spread HIV
from one person to another, conclude
scientists at the Centers for Disease Control.
After eating blood that was loaded with HIV,
these bugs did not become infected with HIV.
The scientists also injected HIV directly into
the bugs, but HIV did not multiply or live for
more than a few hours within the bugs.
Although the scientists found HIV on the
bug’s mouthparts for up to eight hours, they
estimate that because the amount of HIV is so
small, a person would have to have about 500
million insect bites to become infected with
HIV. Apparently cleaner than humans,
bedbugs and mosquitos wash their mouths
after every meal.
Reference: P. Webb and others. Potential fo r
insect transmission o f HIV: experimental
exposure o f Cimex hemipterous and
Toxorhynchites amboinensis HIV. Journal of
Infectious Diseases. December, 1989, pp:
970-975.
HIV infection when antibody
tests are negative
It may take years for people infected with
HIV to make antibodies to the usual HIV-
PWAs may benefit from receiving bone
marrow transplants. Bone marrow was
transplanted by doctors at Johns Hopkins into
a 41-year-old man with AIDS and a rare form
of cancer. Before the bone marrow transplant,
he received high doses of AZT to stop HIV,
plus chemotherapy and radiation to kill his
cancer. Because chemotherapy and radiation
also killed his own bone marrow — the source
of new blood cells — he needed new bone
marrow from another person. After the
transplant, doctors could not find any signs of
HIV infection. However, the cancer returned,
and 47 days later he died. Overall, only 25 -
50 percent of people who receive bone
marrow transplants survive. But doctors are
hopeful that bone marrow transplant
combined with AZT may eventually help a
small number of PWAs.
Enjoy X-C skiing and hiking on
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Reference: H. Kent Holland and others.
Allogenic bone marrow transplantation, AZT,
and HIV-1 Infection. Annals of Internal
Medicine. December 15,1989, pp: 973-980.
Why some men are infectious
Researchers in Boston studied pairs of gay
lovers to find out why some men remain
uninfected with HIV despite having sex with
an infected lover. After testing over 300 pairs
of lovers, these researchers found seven men
who were probably infected by their lover and
eleven men who had not become infected. All
18 men had about the same amount of anal
sex without using a condom, and all of their
lovers were infected with HIV. However, the
men who remained uninfected had lovers who
had lower numbers of suppressor T cells.
These researchers concluded that men with
high numbers of suppressor T cells and low
helper to suppressor ratios more easily infect
other men with HIV during anal sex without
condoms. Usually men have high numbers of
suppressor T cells and a low helper to
suppressor ratio soon after they initially
become infected with HIV, when they become
infected with another virus like herpes or
CMV, and when they have ARC or AIDS.
Most of the men in the study appeared healthy
when they infected their lover with HIV.
Using latex condoms prevents the spread of
HIV, and lovers should always use condoms.
Reference: G. Seage and others. Increased
suppressor T cells in probable transmitters o f
HIV infection. American Journal of Public
Health. December, 1989, pp: 1638-1641.
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ANNOUNCING
Jan Corwin D.C. and Kip M. Hard D.C. of
Circle Chiropractic, Valerie M. Lyon
L.M.T. and Kathy Peters L.M.T. of
Neighborhood massage Clinic, Suzanne
Scopes N.D., Naturopathic Physician,
and Brooke Winter L.Ac., Acupuncturist,
are pleased to announce that they are
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Circle Healthcare Clinic
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(503)230-0812
OPENING FEBRUARY 12,1990
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▼ 5 V February 1990