Re: Heart Drugs May Target AIDS Virus, Study Shows

From: listener (listener_at_nospam.net)
Date: 08/17/04 

Date: 17 Aug 2004 17:11:49 GMT

fresh~horses@despammed.com (fresh~horses) wrote in
news:abf8de5b.0408170805.252da4a8@posting.google.com:

> listener <listener@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:<Xns9547B891FC6A0some1outthere@38.144.126.79>...
>
>
> An affected friend sent me this. I'll go with his judgement, and his
> choices. Zee
 
>
> snip
>>Levels of the virus, measured by genetic material, fell and T-cell
>>count went up. When the patients stopped taking the statin the viral
>>levels rebounded, the researchers reported.
> snip
>
> I think this suggests that there may be a modest benefit from
> statins--tho they don't say how MUCH of an effect. What is the
> cost/risk/ benefit? Who knows?

Dear affected friend: I don't think it suggest that at all. "Statins
alone given to HIV-infected patients suppressed the virus and helped
replenish immune cells known as T-cells." Is that a "modest" effect? And
if one has HIV and your future is death from AIDS the cost/risk/benefit
is clear.
 
> It may merely be that the statin is having an effect on blood drug
> levels of protease inhibitors or non-nuke drugs as opposed to a direct
> effect though if there is a benefit, who cares?

The study does not state that, but I agree: who cares?
 
> Interestingly, that suggests red yeast rice may be a useful
> intervention. MUCH cheaper, too."

The study was not conducted with red rice yeast, so that comment
meaningless.

Once again, statins show potential to save lives while you do your best
to frighten people away from them. (That's directed to you, not your
affected friend.)

L.
>
>
>
>
>
>> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Statin drugs that lower cholesterol levels and
>> reduce the risk of heart disease may also help slow down the AIDS
>> (news - web sites) virus, Spanish researchers reported on Monday.
>>
>> Statins alone given to HIV (news - web sites)-infected patients
>> suppressed the virus and helped replenish immune cells known as
>> T-cells -- two key measures of health in patients with the virus.
>>
>> The drugs seem to stop the virus from infecting cells by stopping
>> them from opening the cell membrane, and stop the virus from getting
>> out of already infected cells, the team at the Spanish Council for
>> Scientific Research in Madrid reported.
>>
>> "Our results indicate that statins might be suitable antiretroviral
>> drugs for more accessible AIDS treatment," the researchers report in
>> Monday's issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
>>
>> Human immunodeficiency virus causes AIDS by infecting immune system
>> cells. The virus injects its genetic material into the cells and
>> forces them to become virus factories, pumping out more copies of the
>> virus.
>>
>> Eventually the immune system is destroyed and patients die of a range
>> of illnesses such as pneumonia. There is no cure and more than 25
>> million people have died of AIDS globally.
>>
>> Drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART can
>> suppress the virus and allow the immune system to function, but they
>> are expensive and have side-effects.
>>
>> One side-effect is called lipodystrophy, a series of metabolic
>> changes that can raise cholesterol levels and cause a redistribution
>> of body fat.
>>
>> Patients with lipodystrophy are often given statins. Immunologist
>> Gustavo del Real and colleagues wanted to see if the statins may
>> themselves affect the course of infection.
>>
>> They first tested HIV-infected cells in a lab dish and then in mice.
>> "Results suggest that HIV-1 entry into and exit from the host cell
>> require actin cytoskeleton rearrangement and adequate cholesterol
>> levels in host and viral membranes," they wrote in their report.
>>
>> The cytoskeleton is the structure of the cell itself.
>>
>> Then they tested six people infected with HIV who had not yet begun
>> HAART therapy. They got lovastatin for a month.
>>
>> Levels of the virus, measured by genetic material, fell and T-cell
>> count went up. When the patients stopped taking the statin the viral
>> levels rebounded, the researchers reported.
>>
>> "The data suggest that statins can inhibit HIV-1 replication in
>> chronically infected individuals, and support future clinical studies
>> of statins as possible antiretroviral agents," the researchers
>> concluded.
>>
>> ======================================================================
>> = But, I guess, because a significantly small percentage of statin
>> users experience side effects we should ignore this.....right
>> wheeZee?
>>
>> L.

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