HHV-6: The T-Cell Killer

[Patrick O'Neil]

On 15 May 1995, James Scutero wrote:

> NEW YORK NATIVE/May 22, 1995
> 
> THE T-CELL KILLER
> HHV-6 May Not Even Need HIV to Destroy The Cells That Prevent 
> Opportunistic Infections
> by Neenyah Ostrom
> 
>      What sets off the cascade of events that results in the 
> destruction of the immune systems of "AIDS" patients? Although the 
> putative causal agent of the syndrome, HIV, is believed to orchestrate 
> the immune system's collapse, no one has been able to explain how it 
> does it. Meanwhile, another virus, Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV-6), has 
> been found to kill immune system cells directly-including T-cells, the 
> loss of which is the agreed-upon hallmark of the syndrome-without any 
> mystery or putative indirect mechanisms that have been attributed to 
> HIV. Now, new research from Robert Gallo's National Cancer Institute of 
> Tumor Cell Biology reveals that HHV-6 infection is required for HIV to 
> be able to infect some T-cells.

Interesting...but I find it rather difficult to believe that an EXTREMELY 
common virus such as HHV-6 would be THE cause of AIDS.  Certainly, it 
cannot be ruled out as A factor but it cannot be THE factor.  HHV-6 is 
the cause of a very common childhood disease, roseola, which itself has 
been known since before 1910, yet there was no AIDS back then.  The fact 
that roseola (exanthem subitum) has been know since at least 1910 implies 
that HHV-6 has been common for many decades if not longer.  How can such 
a widespread and common virus only now cause AIDS?  Some new supermutant 
variant?  No evidence for that at all.  

Again, perhaps its existence, in addition to other viruses (like HIV) can 
then lead to the collapse of the immune system, but then, the same drugs 
that work for HIV should have overlapping effects on HHV-6 (and HSV-II), 
yet AIDS is still the result.  HIV is a fast mutator, faster than any 
known Herpes variant, so it has the wherewithall to evolve resistance to 
many treatments quickly.  A quiescent virus like the herpes viruses are 
completely inactive and thus immune to any treatments while quiescent, 
yet they are also noninfectious and, by definition, nonreplicating in this 
state too.

As it is, it is known that an individual with a herpes infection prior 
to exposure to HIV is more susceptable to successful HIV infection, but 
this isn't just due to the presence of a quiescent virus.  It is tied to 
active virus, or activated virus shortly after HIV exposure which 
increases initial immune system load...you start out behind the power curve.

I myself have had my interest piqued by your post and the article noted 
BUT I am hardly ready, as yet, to pass the AIDS torch on to HHV-6.

Patrick