Man may be first person to beat HIV

[eeroborroc]

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Edited September 13, 2013 by eeroborroc

[ShiningPlain]

amazing. sweet... mind over matter you think?

[Torsten]

danemacca - reference/link please? This story is dodgy because there have been several women who are positive for antibodies, but do not have the virus (ie they beat the virus). They are the basis for a vaccine that will be trialled soon.

[eeroborroc]

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Edited September 13, 2013 by eeroborroc

[eeroborroc]

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Edited September 13, 2013 by eeroborroc

[Torsten]

yep, it's all over the enws. But scarce on scientific detail. Like, does he still have antibodies? And if not, then why not? Wouldn't the antibodies (ie HIV positive status) be around for a long time after the virus has gone? How is his case different to the african prostitutes that were asymptomatic after 12 years (or whatever it was)?

I'd really love to get more info, but it is rather scarce. Might have to wait till next week's New Scientist ;)

[Auxin]

I had the same thought as torsten... on aljazeera I read that he originally tested positive for an extremely minute concentration of antibodies and that later tests turned up a total absence of antibodies. Antibodies dont generally 'vanish' so rapidly, even if they were just there in a minute amount... The hospitals insistance that the blood samples absolutely were not mixed up came After the guy got the negative result and had a knee-jerk reaction to sue the hospital. Sofar he has refused additional testing to see what happened.

Its likely he was never infected and some lab tech just messed up or the guy was hit by the ass end of the margin-of-error on the first test, I think its irresponsable for the media to run around saying someone was 'cured' when the evidence is minimal and questionable... since being first diagnosed months ago he has been having unprotected sex with a HIV infected partner though, so he may get infected after all

[darkstar]

Don’t believe media hype:

HIV-resistant Nairobi prostitutes have been known for years. Natural selection wins once again

They are exposed, do have virions in there blood, but don’t become symptomatic. That classifies as “beating HIV” to me, but that’s a matter of opinion.

Article:

http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/107/3/...l&pmid=11160158

Abstract:

Resistance to HIV infection in a small group of Kenyan sex workers is associated with CD8+-lymphocyte responses to HIV cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes. Eleven prostitutes meeting criteria for HIV resistance seroconverted between 1996 and 1999. The occurrence and specificity of preexisting HIV-1 epitope–specific responses were examined using the IFN- enzyme–linked immunospot assay, and any epitopes recognized were cloned and sequenced from the infecting viral isolate. Immunologic and behavioral variables were compared between late seroconverters and persistently uninfected sex worker controls. HIV-1 CTL epitope responses were present in four of six cases, 5–18 months before seroconversion, and their presence was confirmed by bulk CTL culture. A possible viral escape mutation was found in one of six epitopes. The key epidemiologic correlate of late seroconversion was a reduction in sex work over the preceding year. In persistently uninfected controls, a break from sex work was associated with a loss of HIV-specific CD8+ responses. Late seroconversion may occur in HIV-1–resistant sex workers despite preceding HIV-specific CD8+ responses. Seroconversion generally occurs in the absence of detectable CTL escape mutations and may relate to the waning of HIV-specific CD8+ responses due to reduced antigenic exposure.

[jasemateau]

i dont understand why there is so much scepticisim?

i mean this virus has affected hundreds of thousands of people possilbly millions and one person may have the anti solution to the problem///?

many poeple beat cancer often, ]

and yet there is no understanding of how to prevent (or vaxcine) for cancer?

there can always be an answer!!!!!!!!

wheather its understood, or why it SHOULD be understood is another thing.

i met a guy 10 years ago mention that he was hiv positive and very proud of being gay,

but he had the worst perspective on life i have ever encountered, he belived the CIA found out about aods in the 50's and deliberately infected homosexual's the rid them of society.

just his opinion not mine

i dont care!

if it feels wrong dont put your end in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

instinct must have some play in the game.

just my experience with prostitute's

no comment.

[eeroborroc]

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Edited September 13, 2013 by eeroborroc

[Rev]

Its inevitable that HIV will continue to evolve to both more virualnt and avirulent strains depending on selection pressures

i recall reading that ther are genes that make one immune to HIV and they are found with some frequency amongst caucasian peoples

it is a gene encoding for the receptor site to which the HIV virus attempst theo enter the cells

with faulty receptors the virus cannot infect the body and the person remains HIV free

however this can be overridden if they are infected by someone with late stage AIDS wher ethe mode of infection is different (T cells)

http://www.wirednews.com/news/medtech/0,12...n_story_related

All those with the highest level of HIV immunity share a pair of mutated genes -- one in each chromosome -- that prevent their immune cells from developing a "receptor" that lets the AIDS virus break in. If the so-called CCR5 receptor -- which scientists say is akin to a lock -- isn't there, the virus can't break into the cell and take it over.

http://www.nytimes.com/specials/women/warc...80526_2007.html

allele distribution picture

http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2005/10/diffusion...-resistance.php

[Torsten]

i dont understand why there is so much scepticisim?

Because from a scientific perspective this story does not add up.

I am not doubting that there is the possibility of an individual who got HIV+ and then cleared the virus. However from my understanding the antibodies would be present in his body for VERY long time afterwards. eg when you get glandular fever or any of the other 'once per lifetime viruses' your antibodies will be around for most if not all of the rest of your life. It is just inconceivable that this guy was HIV+ and now has no antibodies.

i mean this virus has affected hundreds of thousands of people possilbly millions and one person may have the anti solution to the problem///?

As stated by myself and darkstar, there are already individuals who are symptom free. They've been known for many years and are the basis of current vaccine research.

if it feels wrong dont put your end in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That has to be the dumbest safety warning I've ever heard (other than 'going to church'). Sorry Jason, but how the hell would you know whether someone is HIV positive or not - especially if that person doesn't know herself? This is the sort of advice that is getting people killed all the time. Do you really think that the majority of HIV positive people 'felt wrong' at the time they got infected?

HIV spread in the gay community is now under control, but it is rampant in the straight community because of exactly this sort of carelessness.

instinct must have some play in the game.

just my experience with prostitute's

Sure, it is possible to predict that a 40 year old street hooker from south africa is more likely to be HIV+ than a 16 y.o. brothel girl from darlinghurst, but that is hardly a guarantee.

One of my flat mates in the early 90's was HIV positive and he went out on the beat every night. He always had unprotected sex because he simply did not care. When one of his fucks ended up his boyfriend we forced him to tell him, but by that time it was too late. Do you think ANY of those guys 'felt wrong' about it at the time their life got fucked up? And even if they did, this guy actually knew what he was doing. Most people who pass on HIV don't know that they are positive.

[Benzito]

One of my flat mates in the early 90's was HIV positive and he went out on the beat every night. He always had unprotected sex because he simply did not care. When one of his fucks ended up his boyfriend we forced him to tell him, but by that time it was too late. Do you think ANY of those guys 'felt wrong' about it at the time their life got fucked up? And even if they did, this guy actually knew what he was doing. Most people who pass on HIV don't know that they are positive.

That is horrible!

How could you even live with a person who behaved like that?

If they 'did not care' that much, I would be worried they would try and infect their flatmates, let alone the strangers they were picking up.

I just don't know what to say.....

[Dodie]

I would classify that as murder, and I could not stand to be around a person who had such a blatent disrespect for another's life...

[Torsten]

That is horrible!

How could you even live with a person who behaved like that?

I am forever the optimist hoping to change people for the better. If I'd moved out his secret would have never come out. Moving out would have been like closing your eyes and pretending it's not happening. It was happening and we were trying to do something about it. Also, this was 15 years ago and attitudes in those days were quite different. The concept that such actioan is indeed murder did not eveolve until a few years ago. Personally I think it is shameful how long it took for such legal precedent to be set. Surely there were plenty of opportunities.

Anyway, it was a large sharehouse with an anarchy slant, so not the place to tell people what to do. I also wasn't in a position to move for a little while and did when I could.

If they 'did not care' that much, I would be worried they would try and infect their flatmates, let alone the strangers they were picking up.

he wasn't out to infect people. He simply did not take responsibility for his actions. Esssentially anyone who sleeps around with unprotected sex and does not get regular tests is guilty of the same thing, so think again before throwing the first stone.

15 years ago it was quite the normal thing to do, which is why AIDS education was such an uphill battle. Why else do you think the virus spread so efficiently!!! Ahh, that's right, it spreads because people use their instincts rather than blood tests.

[2b]

The explanation i heard was that his virus is just a slow on set and he has a dormant version that may take 30 years to develop into full blown AIDS , at the present he may still have minute traces present in his system but only tests will tell and he is uncooperative.

[Benzito]

This is getting off topic, but thankyou Torsten, for clearing that up. For a brief moment, my whole impression of the kind of person you are changed.

I am forever the optimist hoping to change people for the better. If I'd moved out his secret would have never come out. Moving out would have been like closing your eyes and pretending it's not happening.

But the above line made me realise that you are obviously even more caring(or human?) than I am. That is a very mature, sensible way to view the situation and I'm glad that you did stick around, and make him act somewhat more responsibly.

I would have just turned my back on the situation, but you are right, that wouldn't have fixed anything!

[woof woof woof]

ha ha ah - Haven't read all your posts - Here is another one, a friend of mine who's a doctor did a research here on the island (Curacao - caribbean) on HIV. Turns out that there are also 2 people here on the island who were at first HIV positive and then later tests showed that they did not have the disease anymore. Both people are of African dcendance.

In the middle ages when many villages were wiped out there were also some where most people survived the black death. ( plague) It later turns out that these people had a special gene. They said DEFECTIVE gene, that was keeping them alive. Saw it on DISCOVERY - don't remember all teh details.

Another well known defect that is keeping people alive in Malaria areas is sickle cell sickness, where deforme redbloodcells inhibit the malaria parasite from latching on to the RBcell.

http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/malaria_sickle.html

[Rev]

yeah brian those relationships are turning up all over the place

it seems most gene 'defects' never reach any significant concentration in the population unless they confer such a benefit

sickle cell and malaria in the lowland tropics and subtropics

cystic fibrosis and typhoid in western europe

are the best studied

other peculiarities to study might be why Europeans and north asians are so fair skinned when Homo sapiens is primarily a dark skinned species

the Vitamin D hypothesis has been put forward but to my knowledge the corresponding peoples of Tasmania, and tierra del fuego retained the dark skin despite enduring similar lattitudes and climates - and being there longer (tasmania)

[Hagakure]

perceptions of beauty?

if pale was attractive then that would change the gene micx after a while.

what about snow?

if you are hunting in snow and have dark face you are more visible to prey and to your enemies.

[jasemateau]

[/u]Ahh, that's right, it spreads because people use their instincts rather than blood tests.

for the love of PETE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when mentioned instinct T,

perhaps better judgment regarding, needs,desires,and instant satisfaction to lust.

would have been a better wording intsead of instinct.

i did'nt try to shag every thing with a ear hole.

cut for now, healed over tomorrow.

[occidentalis]

other peculiarities to study might be why Europeans and north asians are so fair skinned when Homo sapiens is primarily a dark skinned species

the Vitamin D hypothesis has been put forward but to my knowledge the corresponding peoples of Tasmania, and tierra del fuego retained the dark skin despite enduring similar lattitudes and climates - and being there longer (tasmania)

One hypothesis I've heard is that skin pigmentation is primarily a defence against insect parasites

Apparently mosquitoes like white skin better than black skin - although my kenyan friend laughed at this idea as he scratched his mosquito bitten arms.