The National Institutes of Health (NIH) stopped a clinical trial (ACTG 076) investigating whether giving AZT to pregnant HIV-infected women during pregnancy and labor and to newborns for six weeks after birth would reduce the proportion of babies born with HIV. Study Design Participants were HIV+ pregnant women who
Last October, a San Diego jury acquitted a 39-year-old person with AIDS who testified that he had been growing marijuana to ease his nausea and stimulate appetite. Richard Brookhiser, senior editor of National Review, says that he turned to pot for relief from the inevitable vomiting when he underwent chemotherapy last
(This article is about suitable nutrition principles for most people with HIV/AIDS. If you are in doubt, consult with your physician or nutritionist.) Fascinating Facts Studies confirm that when living with HIV/AIDS, those who change their diets use guidelines for prevention of other diseases like heart disease and can
As knowledge of HIV and the human immune system continues to grow, the prevention and treatment of HIV becomes increasingly complex. As a result a multidisciplinary approach requires the medical community to look at alternative approaches to treatment, including western and eastern medicine, nutrition and exercise. Re
Those who want to learn more about alternative therapies being used to fight HIV infection and AIDS should be aware of two quite different and valuable resources. The first is a special 32-page Winter 1993/94 issue of Treatment Issues, published by Gay Men s Health Crisis in New York. The issue is chock full of informa
Complete Blood Count (CBC) Perhaps the most routine test is the complete blood count (CBC). The CBC examines formed elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets), and plasma (which is made of water, protein and other substances). HIV+ people with no symptoms should have a CBC every six to twelve months. Thos
An article in the December 10, 1993, issue of Science detailed a brand new study of interleukin-12 (IL-12). I recently had discussions with Dr. Gene M. Shearer of the Experimental Immunology Branch of the National Cancer Institute, a leading IL-12 researcher and a principal author of the Science article. I also talked
Alexandra Levine, M.D. and reported by Walt Senterfitt
(Since the incidence of AIDS lymphomas continues to increase and since we have not presented an overview in these pages since 1990, we are presenting a fuller version of Dr. Levine s talk which was briefly summarized in the February 1994 issue. Dr. Levine, Chief of the Division of Hematology at the USC Medical School,
For the last couple of years, clarithromycin has been widely used as one of the drugs in the regimen to treat MAC . The FDA , however, had only approved the drug as treatment for community-acquired pneumonia. This caused insurance reimbursement problems for some people taking clarithromycin as MAC therapy.
Ganciclovir is one of two drugs that are used to treat sight-threatening CMV retinitis (the other is foscarnet). Ganciclovir is commonly administered intravenously and requires the patient to have a PICC line installed. Some researchers are concerned that not enough drug reaches the eye where it is needed if the drug i
Trimetrexate (brand name Neutrexin) was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of PCP . This drug joins a number of other regimens for treating PCP; ten years back we only had intravenous pentamidine. Trimetrexate is not considered a first-line drug. Intravenous Bactrim remains the first choice.
TNF (or Tumor Necrosis Factor) is one of the cytokines that the body produces. Researchers have found that people with advanced HIV disease have higher levels of TNF than is normally found in the body. Many believe that high TNF levels may be one of the factors that cause what we call wasting syndrome in people with AI
The manufacturers of ddI are now marketing a wintergreen flavor of the chewable tablets. You must take these two at a time, twice a day. In addition, there is a new buffered powder with a citrus flavor. This formulation pushes the dose up from 200 mg to 250 mg; it should be taken twice a day.
Acyclovir was approved over a decade ago by the FDA as a treatment for herpes. It has proven to be an excellent anti-herpes drug, but its role in fighting HIV has not yet been firmly established. CMV is one of the opportunistic infections for which we have not developed an effective prophylaxis. Since CMV is a cousin t
I have learned a way to live with disease because of the way people with AIDS have responded in my life. There is little in AIDS I can go through that would be new. After years of support groups, one-on-one counseling sessions, bed side chats at the hospital and everything else that comes with AIDS, the teachers lesson
There are two points of the Clinton Health Security Act of l993 that I hear talked about most in HIV/AIDS circles vis vis Medicare: Prescription drug benefits and home health care. In case these aspects of the Act escaped your attention, here is a brief summary. Prescription drug benefits are provided by the Act and th
There is a fair amount of interest in the drafting of special needs trusts. Such trusts are most commonly used as a strategy to shelter income, for example, from the sale of a life insurance policy, or other assets, so that the beneficiary can remain eligible for various public benefits. Once established, a special nee
At the onset of the AIDS epidemic, it was common practice to leave patients with AIDS-related lymphoma untreated, since no specific therapy had been shown to improve survival. Because of the results of a series of protocols, performed largely at USC, this situation has changed dramatically. With newer treatment strateg
In the wake of the quake, it s only fitting that a new way of thinking about what we eat and what we drink should be considered. I call it disaster nutrition, but it could just as well be called surprise nutrition disasters are usually surprises. Since food and water truly are necessary for life, planning for them in t
A new video entitled The HIV+ Survival Guide, put out by the educational non-profit organization Lifeforce, deals directly with the issue of HIV associated malnutrition. The video addresses the unique and specific nutritional requirements of the HIV+ individual and provides a practical step by step program to avoid mal
Malnutrition is one of the biggest problems faced by AIDS patients. Weight loss is the AIDS-defining diagnosis for about 20% of people with AIDS and ultimately occurs among a majority of PWAs. Loss of muscle tissue is one of the most debilitating and relentless complications of HIV disease. The fatigue and general body
Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City, California, has reported the preliminary clinical findings of its anti-HIV compound GS 393, also known by its chemical acronym PMEA. This intravenously or subcutaneously delivered compound has been associated with decreased p24 antigen and transient increases in CD4 counts in trea
Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc. of LaJolla joins the list of companies that are developing a new class of orally bioavailable anti-HIV compounds known as protease inhibitors . In a presentation to the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Agouron revealed the chemical structure of a novel cla
IL-12 is also known as natural killer cell stimulatory factor and cytotoxic lymphocyte maturation factor. Results from animal studies have demonstrated that IL-12 has both anti-tumor and anti-infective activities. IL-12 s immunomodulatory effects are highlighted in a paper published in the December 10, 1993, issue of S
Investigators at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have initiated a gene therapy trial, sponsored by Targeted Genetics Corp. of Seattle. The trial will use genetically modified cells that specifically recognize and destroy HIV-infected cells for patients without opportunistic infections and with CD4 counts bet
Avigen Inc. of Alameda, California, recently announced that it is sharing a $1.5 million research grant award from the National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group of National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with investigators at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Alabama. The money will be used
[ Note: This was published as a chart in the Newsletter. I had to format it differently for this text version. ] A = Opportunistic Infection B = Causes disease most commonly in C = May present with symptoms such as D = May be diagnosed by tests such as E = And is most effectively treated with (Rx=treatment, Px=prophy
Uveitis is an inflammation of the front part of the eye which may cause eye pain, eye redness, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. The condition is typically annoying, sometimes painful and understandably frightening to a PWA who might first think: Oh my God, I m getting CMV retinitis! Fortunately, uveitis i
Interleukin-2 ( IL-2 ) is a cytokine, a chemical found in the body. IL-2 is known to increase CD4 and CD8 cells. In addition, it can also boost Natural Killer cell activity and gamma interferon production. In fact, IL-2 is about the best CD4 stimulant that we currently have available. Although there have been a ser
SOCA (Studies of the Ocular Complications of AIDS) has announced a CMV retinitis retreatment trial. This is for patients with CMV retinitis who have been treated for at least one month within the past month with either ganciclovir or foscarnet and who still have active disease. Participants will be randomized to receiv
At last count, at least 18 companies have some sort of protease inhibitor in some stage of development. There is hope that out of all this activity will come a drug that works and that will make a significant contribution to the fight against HIV. One big issue is that of bioavailability. You need a product that delive
Bristol-Myers-Squibb, the manufacturers of D4T, is reported to be applying for the drug s licensing. Some predict that the FDA will approve D4T sometime within the first half of this year. Although full study data on D4T has not yet been released, we do hear that early results show that D4T brings about a higher and mo
A recent report in the Journal of Infectious Diseases (November 1993) points out the importance of HIV in cells other than the CD4 cells. We know that cells called Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) harbor HIV. These include macrophages and monocytes. Unlike CD4, the depletion of these cells does not result in
The Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ), which became operative July 26, 1992, is the single most important action Congress has ever taken to end discrimination by providing a clear and comprehensive national mandate to protect individuals with disabilities. The ADA applies to all persons who have AIDS or HIV infec
New Food Labels The Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990 ordered the FDA to create a thorough new system of labeling foods. The Act requires manufacturers and suppliers to observe strict, standardized criteria in listing the contents of their products. This is especially good news for many of you who now must
With the new year underway, many people probably continue to make those New Year s Resolutions. Others of us know better. The longer we survive, the more we know (or tend to remember) that the Resolutions made on January 1 are often broken by January 2. However, with the first month of the new year, priorities or a fir
At the Oriental Medical Center, we began treating people with HIV/AIDS in 1986. Our approach was to use a treatment combination of Chinese herbs, specifically formulated for their antiviral and immune enhancing effects, and acupuncture. Since we began this program, we have kept records on 201 patients who were continuo
INTRODUCTION Dr. Anthony Fauci is Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease (NIAID), the branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) most directly responsible for AIDS research. While he is a hero to some and a bureaucratic villain to others, he is indisputably a leading immunologist.
Important Phone Numbers Those interested in participating in clinical trials of new and potentially useful treatments should keep handy two local numbers: the UCLA CARE Center at 310.206.6414 and USC at 213.343.8324. There are usually a variety of trials being conducted at these two sites. Often your physician may not
This year the epidemic entered its thirteenth year; perhaps the much sought-after luck is long overdue! For the fourth consecutive year, I take this opportunity to record one observer s impressions of the major stories of 1993. 1. The Concorde Study The Concorde was clearly the most talked about study at this year s I
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.