All the info is collected from sci.med.aids.
From: fm.raaphorst@azvu.nl (Frank Raaphorst)
There is a lot of information available at the searchable HIV/AIDS
Information Center of the American Medical Association
(http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/hivhome.htm).
A few helpful links/factsheets include:
http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/treatmnt/updates/neurcomp.htm
http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/newsline/reuters/07203412.htm
http://www.thebody.com/step/neuro.html
by the way, DDI and Zerit are both linked linked to neuropathy:
http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/treatmnt/druginfo/zerit.htm
http://www.ama-assn.org/special/hiv/treatmnt/druginfo/videx.htm
regarding possible treatment and dietary supplements:
http://www.thebody.com/cgi/treat_ans/3782Tre.html
http://www.thebody.com/atn/250.html#Neuropathy: (section 9)
http://www.thebody.com/jossey/romeyn.html
From: sharon@hivresources.com (Sharon Ann Meyer)
http://www.hivresources.com (nutrition to enhance immune system)
From dmlima@uninet.com.br Thu Nov 12 15:06:54 1998
From: dmlima@uninet.com.br (Dante Moreira Lima)
Subject: The disruption of the stromal architecture is associated with the transition from M- to T-Tropic HIV?
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Date: 7 Nov 1998 08:00:11 -0600
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I am an undergraduate student at Universidade Estadual do Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil) Faculty of Medicine and I am doing a bibliography
review on AIDS immunopathogenesis. Some questions came up and I
wasn't able to find the answers. I'll be glad with any help. Thank
you.
The eventual transition from M-tropic to T-tropic strains usually
coincides with the dramatic reduction in CD4+ T cell counts and the
development of full-blown AIDS. Is this transition to T-tropic virus
the cause of the drop in CD4+ T cell count and the development of
AIDS?
SDF-1 is the natural ligand for CXCR4 (the T-tropic major coreceptor).
SDF-1 is produced by stromal cells. Disruption of the stromal
architecture of lyphoid tissue is characteristic os progressive HIV
disease. On this subject Fauci (1996) comments: "...removal of a
major inhibitor of T-tropic virus at the main site of viral
replication could certainly initiate or exacerbate the shift to
T-tropic strains." The SDF-1 levels from diferent stages of HIV
disease correlates with the transition to T-tropic strains? What are
the causes of stromal disruption?
Reference: Anthony S. Fauci. Host factors and the pathogenesis of
HIV-induced disease. Nature 1996 Dec; 384:529-534.
Abstract: The level of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication
in patients reflects a balance between stimulatory and inhibitory host
factors (particularly endogenous cytokines). New information
concerning the cellular co-receptors for HIV and the cellular tropism
of different strains of virus will advance our understanding of
HIV-induced pathogenesis and suggests new therapeutic and
preventive strategies.
From BiGoldberg@aol.com Thu Nov 12 15:11:32 1998
From: BiGoldberg@aol.com
Subject: CD8 CTLs & Cancer
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Date: 9 Nov 1998 09:44:57 -0600
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Monstrous article in the 11/2/98 Journal of Medicine "proving" that
tumor-specific CD8 CTLs exist in vivo. These CTLs are critical for
controlling cancers that develop in HIV disease.
Using tetramers, Romero et al. (1998) state: "These data also indicate
that strong CTL responses to melanoma often occur in vivo, and that the
reactive CTLs have substantial proliferative and tumoricidal potential."
In the Patricia Reaney PR, it is stated:
The discovery of the killer cells, known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes,
will be a valuable tool for testing the efficacy of vaccines and
treatments and could lead to new ways to fight cancer.
"We have, for the first time, been able to accurately identify and count
the killer cells which are geared up to attack cancer cells," Dr
Vincenzo Cerundolo, of the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England,
said in a statement.
=============================
Scientists Spot Cancer-Killing Cells In Patients
1.10 p.m. ET (1810 GMT) November 7, 1998
By Patricia Reaney LONDON— Scientists have identified killer cells in
the immune system of skin cancer patients that can recognize and attack
the disease, they said Saturday.
The discovery of the killer cells, known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes,
will be a valuable tool for testing the efficacy of vaccines and
treatments and could lead to new ways to fight cancer.
. . .
"Immuno-therapy, the idea of using the body's own defense to recognize
and fight cancer, is a very exciting area of cancer research. But up to
this point there has been no accurate way of knowing what kind of
response, if any, the body makes to cancer," he said.
. . .
=============================
Romero P, Dunbar PR, Valmori D, Pittet M, Ogg GS, Rimoldi D, Chen J-L,
Lienard D, Cerottini J-C, Cerundolo V. Ex vivo staining of metastatic
lymph nodes by class I major histocompatibility complex tetramers
reveals high numbers of antigen-experienced tumor-specific cytolytic T
lymphocytes. Journal of Experimental Medicine 1998 Nov 2;188:1641-1650.
Division of Clinical Onco-Immunology, Ludwig Institute for
Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract: Characterization of cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to
tumor antigens has been impeded by a lack of direct assays of CTL
activity. We have synthesized reagents ("tetramers") that specifically
stain CTLs recognizing melanoma antigens. Tetramer staining of
tumor-infiltrated lymph nodes ex vivo revealed high frequencies of
tumor-specific CTLs which were antigen-experienced by surface phenotype.
In vitro culture of lymph node cells with cytokines resulted in very
large expansions of tumor-specific CTLs that were dependent on the
presence of tumor cells in the lymph nodes. Tetramer-guided sorting by
flow cytometer allowed isolation of melanoma-specific CTLs and
confirmation of their specificity and their ability to lyse autologous
tumor cells. Our results demonstrate the value of these novel reagents
for monitoring tumor-specific CTL responses and for generating CTLs for
adoptive immunotherapy. These data also indicate that strong CTL
responses to melanoma often occur in vivo, and that the reactive CTLs
have substantial proliferative and tumoricidal potential.