Is the HIV virus getting stronger?

[Le Libérer]

I came across this (http://www.wctv.tv/healthmatters/headlines/43369117.html) small article questioning if the HIV virus is stronger now than in the early days when they started tracking the virus.

4-21-09
Scientists say the HIV virus could be getting stronger.
Researchers with the Naval Medical Center in San Diego discovered between1985 and 2007, patients CD-4 cell counts are falling.
Those are the cells that help the immune system work.
Experts say this could mean that the HIV virus is adapting well inside the body, and becoming more harmful.
While this report claims the HIV virus is getting more powerful, others find it's either stable or decreasing.
The study, which looked at more than two thousand people infected with HIV, appears in "The Journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases." The one thing we have learned about the HIV virus, is its capability to mutate. It literally can rearrange its genetic makeup to adapt to antivirals and vaccines which have been used in experimental drug trials.

I recently read an article in the magazine HIV Plus, a study at the Tri-State AIDS Clinical Consortium that analyzed data from nearly 2,000 HIV-positive U.S. Military personnel from 1985-2004. Soldiers are usually screened for HIV infection, and this study included subjects that had previously had known HIV-negative date and had all recently sero-converted.
Nancy Crum-Cianflone, PHD and her colleagues's analysis was alarming to say the least. Those that sero-converted between 2002 and 2004 had initial CD4 counts an average of 113 cells lower than those diagnosed between 1985 and 1990. The percentage of HIV clients diagnosed with CD4 counts below 350 cells climbed from 12% in 1985-1990 to 25% in 2002-2004.

Nancy Crum-Cianflone, PHD, stated there were three possible reasons for the jump in numbers. "The first is a change in enviromental influences, which we havent seen. The second is a change in people, which would be surprising, since genetic changes in humans usually occur over many generations, not just several years. And the third is that the virus itself has changed to become more virulent. We're not sure yet which of these hypothesis is right, but we already know that HIV can change pretty readily."

If HIV has the ability to devastate the immune system, it could affect treatment plans, especially those recently diagnosed,' says Robert Grossberg, MD, medical director of the Center for Positive living/infectious Diseases Clinic at Montefore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY.
"There's increasing data to support starting medications at higher CD4-cell counts and maybe even good reason to start when counts are above 350. "HIV that is increasingly virulent might lead patients and providers to lean towards starting meds on the earlier side."

Bottom line, and its always been suggested, is for everyone to get tested regularly so that if you are positive, you can get the care and treatment before there is a significant immune system damage.

Quotes and statistics borrowed from HIV-PLUS magazine. March, 2009

[Coggeh]

Good interesting post.

HIV is renowned for its ability to mutate extremely quickly . Which is why an effective vaccine is extremely hard to develop .I recently read a report saying human antibodies actually drive HIV mutation . The antibodies in humans suited to recognise and attack the virus force the virus to mutate and develop a new strain so rapidly that it renders your entire immune system almost useless.In fact up to a dozen new strains can develop inside the same person.If the virus weren't so dangerous and threathening then you'd almost admire the damn thing .

So in a sum up , HIV is definitely getting stronger , but so is just about every virus we know ,so it shouldn't be too surprising.

Interesting thread , what do other people think ?

[Le Libérer]

In fact up to a dozen new strains can develop inside the same person.[/B]If the virus weren't so dangerous and threathening then you'd almost admire the damn thing .


Exactly, and they've known that to some degree for a while. We have always suggested to HIV clients, that if they have HIV and have sex with other people with HIV, its very important to use protection, because if not, they are reinfecting themselves with other strains.

[Coggeh]

Exactly, and they've known that to some degree for a while. We have always suggested to HIV clients, that if they have HIV and have sex with other people with HIV, its very important to use protection, because if not, they are reinfecting themselves with other strains.
I never realised that actually .Do you think a vaccine is even possible for HIV? considering a vaccine is their to produce certain antibodies to the infection , but HIV actually mutates so fast that the vaccine is useless .

[Le Libérer]

I never realised that actually .Do you think a vaccine is even possible for HIV? considering a vaccine is their to produce certain antibodies to the infection , but HIV actually mutates so fast that the vaccine is useless .
Back in the late 90s when I was working directly with people living with AIDS, there were concerns then about the possibility of developing a vaccine for the same reasons now. The virus mutates so quickly. And as you mentioned, there are many strains of the virus.

But I myself do believe a vaccine is possible. Again pulling from the stats here (http://www.aegis.com/news/upi/2007/UPI070545.html)


Scientists at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences note HIV is extremely variable, so an effective vaccine would need to stimulate the body to produce cross-reactive antibodies to neutralize multiple viral strains.
The USU researchers -- Dr. Gerald Quinnan Jr., Christopher Broder and colleagues -- attempted to elicit such broad-range antibodies in an animal model, by immunizing with a particular HIV-1 surface protein, designated R2 gp140, and an immune response-boosting component. The researchers found antibodies produced as a result of immunization neutralized all 48 strains of HIV-1 tested.
The scientists said the results show it is possible to elicit a broad-spectrum HIV antibody response.But how long will it take for a vaccine to be made available to the public, if these strides were accomplished? This is where the need for funding raises its ugly head. Also distribution. I read somewhere about $650 million is spent annually on the development of a vaccine. This is where you would think the US pharmecuticals would be in a huge competition to be the first to develop it. The first question that comes to my mind is, "Are they making more money in anti-virals, testing kits, etc? Is it more profitable not to find a vaccine?
Also, if they do develop one, when someone has had the vaccine, wouldnt they test positive for HIV then? How will insurance companies deal with that?
Then there are those scientists that beleive an HIV vaccine will not be developed within the next 10 years. Some of them said that it may take at least 20 more years of research before a vaccine can be used to protect people either from infection or the onset of Aids.
There also was a drug trial developed by Merck, that was used on animals for over 10 years, that just proved not to work on humans.
I'll never give up on the hope that there will be vaccine. I just cant. Theres been such strides made in anti-virals that trick the virus, as well as those infected, giving birth to perfectly healthy babies that never sero-convert, by third trimester use of anti-virals and caesarean, why not? Until then tho, we must understand, just because its not the big headlines in the media, it used to be doesnt mean its gone away, its just more manageable now.

[TheFutureOfThePublic]

Nah,humans are just getting dumber and sleeping with anyone they can

[Dr Mindbender]

Maybe i've playing too much Metal Gear solid but im convinced that the key to curing AIDS/HIV and cancer will come through nanotechnology (http://www.revleft.com/vb/anyone looking for farm worker im available) as opposed to conventional chemistry.

[pastradamus]

I dont agree with this talk of HIV vaccines. While I do appreciate that HIV comes in Many strains, shapes and sizes Its still a Retrovirus which is more primitive as a lifeform than the Human body. For this reasoning we have seen numerous people, Especially in Africa who despite sleeping with numerous Aids/HIV victims are somehow Immune from the Disease. Richard Dawkins has claimed this as an attribute of the bodies evolution in defence to the Disease. In otherwords, some people are evolving quick enough to defeat AIDS.

The HIV vaccine is another wonderfull example of how capitalism and private enterprize is failing humanity. If the Medical Industry was government controlled and actually interested in a HIV/AIDS vaccine than We'd already have one. The fact of the matter is, THE MONEY IS IN THE TREATMENT AND NOT THE CURE. The Fact that We havent had a new anti-biotic in almost 30 years is testament to this. We are now becoming more and more immune to anti-biotics and many other forms of modern medicine. So the Onus is upon science and government to reserch new means of defeating modern pandemics and actually coming up with cure's and Preventine medicine and not just selling pfisers new placebos to people.