Medicine & Health Corner

Posts Tagged ‘HIV’

Dr Andi Utama, Biotechnology Research Center Researcher LIPI; Postdoctoral Fellow of Japan Society for Promotion of Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan.

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a global disease problem throughout the world. In order to commemorate World AIDS Day which falls on 1 December, WHO launched a program The 3 by 5 Initiative in order to supply antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to three million AIDS patients in developing countries by the year 2005.

This program is done to combat AIDS disease caused by infection with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), whose numbers continue to grow more days. According to a WHO report in December 2002, more than 20 million people have died from AIDS. And now with AIDS is estimated to amount to more than 42 million. This number continued to increase with the speed of 15,000 patients per day. The number of patients in South Asia and Southeast Asia is estimated at 5.6 million.

In Indonesia alone, according to data PPM & PLP DG MOH, until November 2003 reported that the number of AIDS patients and HIV is 3924 people. Within the last three months (July-September 2003) has reported an additional 151 cases of AIDS and 126 people with HIV infection. This proves that if no preventive action from the early cases of AIDS / HIV will be a major problem in Indonesia in the future.

Therapy of AIDS / HIV

Therapy of AIDS / HIV today is a chemical treatment (chemotherapy) using antiretroviral drugs that suppress the proliferation of functional HIV virus. These drugs are inhibitors of the enzyme necessary for viral replication such as reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease. RT inhibitors comprises inhibitors with basic compounds nukleosid (nucleoside-based inhibitors) and nonnukleosid (nonnucleoside-based inhibitors).

Among nucleoside-based RT inhibitors are AZT (zidovudine), ddI (Didanosine), ddC (zalcitabine), 3TC (lamivudine), d4T (stavudine
), And others. Nevirapine and efavirenz is the name of antiretroviral drugs in the form of a protease inhibitor.
Meanwhile, protease inhibitors so far officially registered in the USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amprenavir (Agenerase), indinavir (Crixivan), lopinavir / ritonavir (Kaletra), ritonavir (Norvir), saquinavir (Fortovase), and nelfinavir (Viracept).

AZV therapy using drugs is generally not done with just one drug, but with a combination of various drugs. This is because the use of a single drug does not cure and can lead to the emergence of resistant viruses to the drug.
Use of drug combinations became standard treatment of AIDS today. This strategy is called threrapy highly active antiretroviral (HAART). With HAART, the usually recommended to use a protease inhibitor with at least two other drugs. However, this method also is not effective and still result in the emergence of resistant viruses.

Nevertheless, new drug discovery efforts remain to be done. Along with that, also made efforts to develop vaccines against the HIV virus. Enough of them are promising vaccine candidates from rekombinant protein gp120 (membrane protein of HIV viral envelope protein). This vaccine candidate was developed by VaxGen Inc., a company engaged in the field of biological products for infectious diseases, based in Australia.
Unfortunately, vaccine candidates named AIDSVAX is not proven effective in clinical testing phase-3, namely large-scale testing phase of the human resistance against the HIV virus attacks.

Constraints AIDS treatment / HIV

The difficulty of drug discovery or vaccine virus is caused by several things, including high rates of mutation of this virus. This mutation causes the virus easily change shape and nature of so resistant to the drug. If the drugs used are the enzyme transcriptase inhibitors like AZT (zinovudine, for example), the occurrence of a significant mutation in the gene will make AZT transcriptase will not work anymore.
Biasanya hal ini bisa diatasi dengan menggunakan obat kombinasi. But this action does not work against the HIV virus caused high levels of mutations. Recently, one study of 80 patients given the triple drug zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine showed that 61% of them found a mutation that makes the virus resistant to this drug (Re et al, 2003).

In addition, the HIV virus is also the process of recombination (crossing genes) with a different virus types. This is more likely to cause more HIV virus could change into a variety of shapes and properties. Because the drugs are usually designed only to target a particular virus, the virus will cause a change in medications that are designed not work anymore. Analysis of the HIV virus that was isolated from the patients given the protease inhibitor drug proved that the recombination of the virus causing viral resistennya of protease inhibitors (Penn et al, 2001). Cunning, this virus only change yourself to become resistant to drugs, without reducing patogennya nature.

Transmission of AIDS and lifestyle

HIV virus usually live and breed in human white blood cells, which are closely related to the immune system of humans because it is a source of antibodies. Thus, HIV will be in a bodily fluid containing white blood cells, such as blood, placental fluid, semen, vaginal fluid, bone marrow, breast milk, and brain fluid.

Therefore, the transmission will take place at the time of mixing body fluids containing HIV virus. Mixing can occur through a variety of behaviors. Among these are sexual relationships with partners with HIV, an injection needle contaminated with HIV virus, blood transfusion containing HIV, and the birth of mothers living with HIV.

From this it is clear that sex is a major factor in the spread of AIDS. That is, the spread of AIDS is influenced by the lifestyle of a community, such as the association of men and women are free, juvenile delinquency is likely to use the drug, or homosexual behavior. In other words, the more the things above are found in society, the velocity spread of the HIV virus will be higher.
Prevention of transmission is the key

Because we know that until now no effective drugs for AIDS / HIV is, ought we realize that effective efforts can we do to anticipate this problem is prevention. By avoiding the spread of HIV virus, in a way away from the lifestyle that caused the spread of HIV, this problem will be overcome. Conversely, if we are negligent and indifferent to the behavior that transmits HIV virus, this problem will not be overcome.

In order to eradicate AIDS / HIV in Indonesia, in March 2003, MOH has issued a book National Strategy for HIV / AIDS in 2003-2007. In the book set to hit the target on six priority areas, namely HIV / AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support for people with HIV / AIDS, surveillance of HIV / AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, research activities, a conducive environment, coordination multiparty, and sustainable response.
From this it is clear that prevention is a priority. Of course this is not easy to implement because of lack of public knowledge about AIDS / HIV itself. Such knowledge includes the danger of AIDS, how the transmission, and how pecegahannya. So is awareness that is still lacking. Therefore, to implement this prevention also requires the cooperation of various parties, ranging from individual level to the level of government.

What was planned by the Indonesian Parliamentary Forum for Population and Development, to garner the political commitment of its members in national and regional levels in order to prevent the spread of HIV / AIDS through policies and regulations that an integrated, is one of effective business (Media Indonesia, 1/12/2003 ). In commemoration of World AIDS Day, let us together try to AIDS / HIV is not the spread in our country

Ilona Hauber, PhD, researcher from the Heinrich-Pette Institute for Experimental Virology and Immunology, Hamburg-Germany says green tea and SEVI able to counteract against the HIV virus.

Hauber explained as published the National Academy of Sciences, SEVI is beta-amyloid fibril formed from prostate proteins in semen. Beta-amyloids are also found in people with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

EGCG (molecules contained in green tea) is a compound that can fight the formation of beta-amyloid. Hence green tea leaves can be an alternative anti-HIV drugs affordable and effective in reducing the risk of HIV transmission.

The results of laboratory tests conducted by Hauber and his colleagues showed that one element capable of counteracting SEVI is EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), the type of catechin largest amount in green tea leaves that have beneficial health effects as anti-tumor, anti – microbial and anti-allergic.

EGCG is a lot contained in green tea leaves, can reduce the risk of HIV transmission by blocking the risk semen carrying HIV virus. More good content of green tea is not harmful to the cells of the human body if consumed or used on a regular basis.

Vaginal gel Anti-HIV
One of the findings found to be ECGC allow vaginal lubrication. Can be used to protect women from the risk of contracting the HIV virus during sexual activity.

Like ordinary lubricant that does not cause irritation, but with additional functions for the active substance able to maintain vaginal acidity level remained stable and off the bad bacteria.

EGCG has a balanced acidity, so Hauber suggested to use it as an additional element of the vaginal gel anti-HIV. Because no side effects, enable ECGC to be used together with drugs anti-HIV.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus that causes AIDS by attacking white blood cells called CD4 cells that can damage the human immune system which can not ultimately survive the disease, although a very mild though.

HIV attacks CD4 cells and turn it into a breeding ground of new HIV viruses and then ruin it, so can not be used again. White blood cells are necessary for the immune system. Without the immune system when attacked by the disease so we do not have a body protector. The impact is that we can get away common cold.

B. AIDS

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is the impact or effect the propagation of the hiv virus in the body of living things. The HIV virus needs time to cause the syndrome of AIDS is deadly and very dangerous. AIDS is caused by the weakening or disappearance of the immune system that had been owned since CD4 + T cells in the white blood cells destroyed by many HIV virus.

When we are exposed to HIV virus we are not directly affected by AIDS. AIDS needs to be a long time, ie several years to become the deadly AIDS. A person can be HIV positive. Currently there are no drugs, serum or vaccine that can cure people of HIV virus causes AIDS.

C. Method / Technique virus transmission and spread of HIV AIDS

• Blood

Example: blood transfusion, hiv infected blood to the wounded skin, exposed to menstrual blood on the wounded skin, syringes, etc.

• Liquid Cement, Water Mani, Sperm and semen Men

Example: Male sex without a condom or other security, oral sex, etc..

• Fluid Vagina in Women

Example: Women unprotected intercourse, sharing sex aids, oral sex, etc..

• Breastfeeding

Example: Babies drinking ation of hiv woman, man drinking milk ation partner, and so forth.

Body fluids that contain no HIV virus in people with HIV:

• Saliva / sputum / saliva
• Faeces / dirt / Tokai / chapter / feces
• Tears
• Water sweat
• Water art / urine / water pee / urine / urine

Additional:

Do not isolate and avoid people with HIV because they need the help and support in order to continue to live without a lot of weight and belongs to the house of God with sincerity.