Faster Progression to AIDS and Death Occurs in Those With Higher Levels of HIV VIRUS

4 June 2003

Tony Floyd,
Medical Student
Newcastle University, Newcastle Australia

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Re: Faster Progression to AIDS and Death Occurs in Those With Higher Levels of HIV VIRUS

There are many theories as to why some people last longer after becoming HIV-positive. Whilst most 'long-term survivors' eventually succumb to AIDS, there are plenty of studies available examining why some people might progress to AIDS slower than others. For example in a study published by the National Academy of Sciences(1):

--- "The more virus, the more rapidly lymphocytes are destroyed, the sooner the development of immunodeficiency, and consequently the faster the progression to AIDS and death." ---

The story of Jack Levine(2) provides a more personal account of a victim of HIV who ultimately had to face the reality of his disease and tragically succumbed to it.

References:

(1) Arnaout RA, Lloyd AL, O'Brien TR, Goedert JJ, Leonard JM, Nowak MA. A simple relationship between viral load and survival time in HIV-1 infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1999 Sep 28;96(20):11549-53 http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pub med&pubmedid=10500214

(2) Jack Levine Memorial at http://www.virusscience.org/hiv/aids/jack_levine.htm

Competing interests: None declared