MEDICAL UPDATE: Results of Passive Immunotherapy Study

MEDICAL UPDATE: Results of Passive Immunotherapy Study

Being Alive Newsletter, Being Alive/Los Angeles - June 1992
Mark Katz MD and reported by Jim Stoecker

Passive immunotherapy is a treatment for those in the later stage of HIV infection. The process involves taking blood from a healthy HIV+ person, usually recently infected. The donor's blood is rich in antibodies. The virus in the blood is killed and the antibodies infused into the recipient. The hope is that these antibodies will boost the recipient's ability to fight off HIV.

Locally, Hemacare has been conducting a study of passive immunotherapy. The study involves 219 people randomized to three groups: full-strength treatment, half-strength treatment, and placebo. Hemacare recently released six months data on these study groups.

The full strength group had a statistically significant lower rise in beta-2 microglobulin than did the other two groups. This implies less active HIV infection. The full-strength group also had a statistically significant higher average CD4 than the other groups in the study. Moreover, researchers reported that the death rate for the full-strength group was a third that of the placebo group.

The Hemacare study of passive immunotherapy is ongoing; we need further studies of this treatment. Nonetheless, these early results are encouraging.
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