AIDS and Glycosylation

The authors regret that in this Mini Review a paper by Massariet al. (1990) (J. Immunol., 144, 4628-4632) was cited out ofcontext. In this paper isolates of HIV-1 from peripheral bloodmononuclear cells of seropositive individuals (and not molecularclones as cited) were investigated for their macrophage tropismin vitro.     

AIDS and Africa

Africa is dying. As much of the world turns its back, and a powerful spokesman in Africa insists that HIV is not the cause of AIDS, unimaginable numbers of young Africans are condemned to an early death. Public opinion in the West, meanwhile, turns its back on the catastrophe. 'The victims are distant blacks in an alien culture. They simply don't concern us.' This reprehensible attitude has all but excluded the tragedy from the UK media.     

AIDS Research and Its Role in China＇s AIDS Prevention and Control Policies

By the end of 2005, the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. ＂Prevention First＂ is the cornerstone of the country＇s health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day, Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy, ＂Four Frees and One Care＂. This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006, the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then, the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time, development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases （AIDS, HBV, TB and other emerging infectious diseases） have been selected as national key scientific projects. China＇s best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology, immunology, pathogenesis, HAART, as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China＇s AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.     

AIDS Research and Its Role in China's AIDS Prevention and Control Policies

By the end of 2005,the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. "Prevention First" is the cornerstone of the country's health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day,Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy,"Four Frees and One Care". This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006,the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then,the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time,development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases (AIDS,HBV,TB and other emerging infectious diseases) have been selected as national key scientific projects. China's best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology,immunology,pathogenesis,HAART,as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China's AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.     

AIDS and associated malignancies

INTRODUCTION It has been over twenty years since the onset of the AIDS epidemic, and in spite of the tremendous progress made towards the understanding of the disease, the virus that causes the disease and the development of highly ef- fective anti-retrov…     

AIDS and associated malignancies

AIDS associated malignancies (ARL) is a major complication associated with AIDS patients upon immunosuppression.Chronically immunocompromised patients have a markedly increased risk of developing lymphoproliferative disease. In the era of potent antiretrovirals therapy (ARV), the malignant complications due to HIV- 1 infection have decreased in developed nations where ARV is administered, but still poses a major problem in developing countries where HIV- 1incidence is high and ARV is still not yet widely available. Even in ARV treated individuals there is a concern that the prolonged survival of many HIV- 1 carriers is likely to eventually result in an increased number of malignancies diagnosed.Malignancies that were found to have high incidence in HIV-infected individuals are Kaposi‘s sarcoma (KS), Hodgkin‘s disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin‘s lymphoma (NHL). The incidence of NHL has increased nearly 200 fold in HIV-positive patients, and accounts for a greater percentage of AIDS defining illness in the US and Europe since the advent of HAART therapy. These AIDS related lymphomas are distinct from their counterparts seen in HIV- 1 seronegative patients.For example nearly half of all cases of ARL are associated with the presence of a gamma herpesvirus, Epstein Barr virus (EBV) or human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8)/Kaposi‘s sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV). The pathogenesis of ARLs is complex. B-cell proliferation driven by chronic antigenemia resulting in the induction of polyclonal and ultimately monoclonal lymphoproliferation may occur in the setting of severe immunosuppression.     

AIDS and associated malignancies

AIDS associated malignancies (ARL) is a major complication associated with AIDS patients upon immunosuppression. Chronically immunocompromised patients have a markedly increased risk of developing lymphoproliferative disease. In the era of potent antiretrovirals therapy (ARV), the malignant complications due to HIV-1 infection have decreased in developed nations where ARV is administered, but still poses a major problem in developing countries where HIV-1 incidence is high and ARV is still not yet widely available. Even in ARV treated individuals there is a concern that the prolonged survival of many HIV-1 carriers is likely to eventually result in an increased number of malignancies diagnosed. Malignancies that were found to have high incidence in HIV-infected individuals are Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The incidence of NHL has increased nearly 200 fold in HIV-positive patients, and accounts for a greater percentage of AIDS defining illness in the US and Europe since the advent of HAART therapy. These AIDS related lymphomas are distinct from their counterparts seen in HIV-1 seronegative patients. For example nearly half of all cases of ARL are associated with the presence of a gamma herpesvirus, Epstein Barr virus (EBV) or human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8)/ Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV). The pathogenesis of ARLs is complex. B-cell proliferation driven by chronic antigenemia resulting in the induction of polyclonal and ultimately monoclonal lymphoproliferation may occur in the setting of severe immunosuppression.     

AIDS and sexual morality

The author rejects the moralistic view of AIDS that distinguishes between natural and unnatural sexual behavior, attributes disease to the consequence of unnatural behavior, and maintains that the only way to deal with AIDS is by adherence to the natural expression of sexuality, namely, life-long heterosexual monogamy. Matthews argues that the purely medical model is the only rational and morally acceptable view of AIDS and that the morally relevant consideration is the obligation to relieve suffering. The triumph of moralism would promote intolerance and social division and the abandonment of compassion and respect for the autonomy of others. The author concludes that the AIDS epidemic, by its sheer horror, offers the chance to adopt more enlightened views which, in turn, are more likely to result in effective measures to control the spread of AIDS.     

AIDS and human lymphocytes

HIV infection is no doubt the primary cause of AIDS. But the relationship between HIV and its host lymphocytes is fairly complicated. It has become clear that the host range of the viruses varies according to the clinical stage of the patients from whom viruses were isolated. Besides, the cause or mechanism of cell killing by HIV infection is not well-known. The density of CD4 molecules on the cell surface can not simply explain the phenomena, such as the level of virus growth, killing mechanisms of lymphocytes and host range of the virus. It is quite interesting to analyse which gene of the virus determines the characteristics of the virus.     

AIDS and associated malignancies

AIDS associated malignancies （ARL） is a major complication associated with AIDS patients upon irnmunosuppression. Chronically immunocompromised patients have a markedly increased risk of developing lymphoproliferative disease. In the era of potent antiretrovirals therapy （ARV）, the malignant complications due to HIV-1 infection have decreased in developed nations where ARV is administered, but still poses a major problem in developing countries where HIV-1 incidence is high and ARV is still not yet widely available. Even in ARV treated individuals there is a concern that the prolonged survival of many HIV-1 carriers is likely to eventually result in an increased number of malignancies diagnosed. Malignancies that were found to have high incidence in HIV-infected individuals are Kaposi＇s sarcoma （KS）, Hodgkin＇s disease （HD） and non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma （NHL）. The incidence of NHL has increased nearly 200 fold in HIV-positive patients, and accounts for a greater percentage of AIDS defining illness in the US and Europe since the advent of HAART therapy. These AIDS related lymphomas are distinct from their counterparts seen in HIV- 1 seronegative patients. For example nearly haft of all cases of ARL are associated with the presence of a gamma herpesvirus, Epstein Barr virus （EBV） or human herpesvirus-8 （HHV-8）/Kaposi＇s sarcoma associated herpesvirus （KSHV）. The pathogenesis of ARLs is complex. B-cell proliferation driven by chronic antigenemia resulting in the induction of polyclonal and ultimately monoclonal lymphoproliferation may occur in the setting of severe immunosuppression.