Now just wait one minute here. . . This is a contradiction in terms "AIDS"
requires a non-normal immunsystem with declining CD4+ cells down lower than
0.3. Or, you don't have AIDS. Something is wrong with this article or more
likely, your interpretation of the data.
-------------------------------------------------
<< Despite years of research, no evidence can be found
that the immune system fights cancer cells, which, after all, are a part
of the host's own body. >>
I disagree: What about the spontaneous cancer remission cases. No theories
on the immune system helping in that? I seem to remember several theories in
JAMA on that. I just can't help think we have not found all the human cancer
virus (besides HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) as in the non-human roux sarcoma retrovirus
cancer virus.
Of course, retrovirus RNA directed DNA synthesized DNA is trapped in all
humans due to the incorporation into the human genone and transfered each
successive generation. The immune system apparently has a hard time finding
DNA made by this process. So the human cancer virus might not exist as a
virus anymore having just become part of the "normal" human genone.
--------------------------------------
<< like to read about HIV infected chimps coming down with "AIDS-like
symptoms" after latency periods "every bit as long as it is in people." >>
You might like to look at some older studies/reports on HIV-2 since it may be
the same virus as the one causing the above chimp infections.
1. Ayanian et al. HIV-2 in U.S. N. Engl. J. Med. 320:1422-1423, 1989
2. CDC AIDS due to HIV-2 MMWR 37:969, 1987
3. CDC Update on HIV-2 MMWR 38: 572-580, 1989
4. Clavel et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 316: 1180-1185, 1987
5. Cortes et al. HIV-1, HIV-2, HTLV-1 infections in Brazil. N.Engl. J. Med.
320: 953-958
(Also look for HTLV-3 since that is what HIV used to be called before the
name changed.)
Have you read Steven B. Harris, M.D. in _Skeptic_ Vol. 3 No.2 1995 esp. p. 51
. . . etc.?
More reports (too many?): The first report of HIV-1 Group O AIDS infection
in the U.S. is reported in _Emerging Infectious Diseases_ Vol. 2 No. 3
July-Sept. 1996 p. 209 by Sullivan et al. in the same issue see p. 222 for
Central African Republic HIV-1 data.
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<< HIV would have to kill T-cells while destroying brain neurons it cannot
infect and at the same time induce white blood cells and skin cells to
grow malignantly. >>
But that is not required. HIV can cause a lot of damage and set off a chain
reaction far distant from the HIV itself. Retroviral DNA becomes "part" of
many cells in a body. That's why it is a "syndrome" after all. Retroviruses
inducing cancer gene activation is a theory for example. _Clostridium
botulinum_ does the same thing neurologically without any living bacterium
being present at all, through neutotoxin formation. Human cells infected
with HIV making some changes in cell/organism metabolism, like a neurotoxin,
is another theory.
------------------------------------------------------
Davin C. Enigl, (Sole Proprietorship) MEAS
President-Microbiologist
Microbiology Consulting, Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Points (HACCP), CGMP, and Validations
for the Food, Cosmetic, Nutritional Supplement, and Pharmaceutical Industry
enigl@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/enigl/index.html
March 8, 1997
7:26 am