AIDS post-HIV : beat of a different drummer - AltHeal

appeared to be significantly impaired, irrespective
of the stage of the disease. Through laboratory
investigation it is believed that the virus causes an
enteropathy, which can result in the malabsorption
of folic acid. The authors feel that routine folic
acid supplementation may be warranted in
patients with AIDS. [Folic Acid Absorption in
Patients Infected with the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus. Revell, P., Journal of
Internal Medicine, 1991;230:227-231. Address: Dr.
Paul Revell, Central Pathology Laboratory,
Hartshill Rd., Stoke-On-Trent, United Kingdom]
Garlic and Natural Killer Cells
Natural killer (NK) cells, which form part of the
body's immune system, are known to spontaneously
destroy tumour cells, virus-infected cells,
and to play a primary role in surveillance.
Volunteers were given either 0.5 g/kg body weight
of raw garlic daily, or 1800 mg kyolic garlic daily.
Compared with controls, the NK cell performance
i n c reased in both the garlic-treated groups, by
139 per cent in the raw garlic group and by 155. 5
per cent in the kyolic garlic group. [Kandi OM et
al: Garlic and the immune system in humans: its
effect on natural killer cells. Fed Proc 46(3): 441,
1987].
Garlic and Opportunistic Infections
Ten HIV+ patients with severely low natural killer
cell activity, abnormal helper- t o - s u p p ressor T- c e l l
ratios (both these parameters are indicators of
advanced Aids, probably with short life
expectancy) and opportunistic infections such as
cryptosporidial diarrhoea were given 5 grams daily
for 6 weeks and then 10 grams daily for 6 weeks
of an aged garlic extract. 3 patients died before
the trial ended, but 7 of the 10 experienced a
re t u rn to normal natural-killer cell activity by the
end of the 12 weeks. Chronic diarrhoea and
candidiasis also improved. [Abdullah T et al: Garlic
as an antimicrobial and immune modulator in
AIDS. Int Conf AIDS (Canada) 5:466 ( ISBN 0-662-
56670-X), 1989. Address: Tariq H. Abdullah, Akbar
Clinic and Research Foundation, Panama City,
Florida 32404, USA].
Garlic Extract, Diarrhoea and Body Weight
A group of Aids patients with cryptosporidium
infection were given liquid allicin (garlic extract)
mixed with water daily. This resulted in less
diarrhoea and stabilized or increased body weight.
Several patients showed negative tests for
cryptosporidium parasites on follow-up. [Garlic for
cryptosporidiosis Treat Rev 22:11, 1996].
Gastric Acid Deficiency
In a gp. of 48 pts. with AIDS, the mean fasting pH
of gastric juice was 5.9 compared to 2.9 in
c o n t rols. Maximal acid output was 7.4 mEq/hr
c o m p a red to 17.9 mEq/hr in controls. Bacteria
were cultured from the gastric juice or mucosa in
13/14 pts., while the gastric juice was sterile in
each of 5 controls. The serum of 8/15 pts. was
positive for gastric parietal cell antibodies [Lake-
Bakaar G, Quadros E, Beidas S, et al. Gastric
s e c retory failure in patients with the acquire d
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Ann Intern
Med 109(6):502-4, 1988].
Note from Linda Lazarides: Gastric acid is our
primary defence against infectious microbes in
food. Low acidity in the stomach can there f o re
much more easily lead to infestation with
diarrhoea-causing microbes and parasites in AIDS
patients than in others. They will also be more
prone to other infections.
A low gastric pH is required to stimulate the rest
of the digestive processes, so AIDS patients
without sufficient acid may suffer from defective
digestion and consequent malabsorption of
important nutrients.
It is recommended that AIDS suff e rers take
supplements of HCl Pepsin with meals.
Glutathione Depletion and Immunodeficiency
C o m p a red to 16 healthy controls, 20 common
variable immunodeficiency pts. had significantly
lower levels of both total and reduced glutathione
as well as a lower ratio of reduced to total
glutathione. Plasma levels of total glutathione
w e re also decreased, while monocytes from pts.
exhibited increased levels of both total and
reduced glutathione. CVI pts. had significantly
raised serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha)
and TNF-alpha concentration was strongly
associated with glutathione depletion in CD4 +
lymphocytes. Furthermore, the lowest levels of
both total and reduced glutathione were found in
a subgroup of pts. characterized by persistent
immune activation in vivo, decreased numbers of
CD4 + lymphocytes in peripheral blood, and
s p l e n o m e g a l y. [Intracellular depletion of re d u c e d
glutathione may have profound implications for
CD4 + lymphocyte function and the immunodeficiency
in CVI. Aukrust P, Svardal AM, M Ú ller F, et
al. Decreased levels of total and re d u c e d
glutathione in CD4+ lymphocytes in common
variable immunodeficiency are associated with
activation of the tumor necrosis factor system:
possible immunopathogenic role of oxidative
stress. Blood 86(4):1383-91, 1995].
Glutathione Levels and AIDS Survival
The glutathione levels in CD4 T cells from 206
H I V-positive pts. and 86 healthy controls were
compared. Controls had the highest levels, while
pts. with the lowest CD4 cell counts contained the
lowest glutathione levels. More o v e r, pt. survival
was closely related to the glutathione level; in pts.
with CD4 cell counts