What does the saliva do?

What does the saliva do?

HIV requires a good quantity of salt for its survival. Therefore, blood gives HIV the most favorable environment for propagation. Saliva, on the contrary, deactivates 90% of the HIV- infected leukocytes, due to lack of salt. Leukocytes or the blood cells, which help in the transmission of HIV to the mucosal surface, fail to succeed in their purpose. The HIV in saliva expands and bursts, due to lack of salt.

Therefore the saliva serves two purposes :

• Its antiseptic property kills the freely moving HIV in saliva and other parts of our mouth
• It destroys those HIV infected cells, which are the main culprits in the transmission of the disease.

For all these reasons HIV does not transfer from mouth to mouth contact.

Nevertheless, the transmission of HIV through kissing is only possible, if both the partners have deep sore in their mouths, deep cut, or heavily bleeding gums. However, the reason behind this contraction cannot exactly be pertained to saliva. Rather, it would be the blood, that would act as the carrier of the HIV virus from one person into the blood stream of the other.

Other bodily fluids that are free from HIV are sweats, tears and urine. Therefore, one should not panic if he is exposed to these bodily fluids of an HIV positive person. There is no harm in:

• Sharing food
• Eating together
• Using the same toilet
• Sharing clothes
• Sharing the same swimming pool

The fluids that can cause harm are blood, semen and breast milk. Therefore, before coming to contact with these fluids, one must take enough precautions.

HIV in Saliva

Many people live with the myth, that HIV and its harmful components are present in the saliva of a HIV positive person. Hence, kissing or sharing food with the patient can be contagious due to the presence of HIV in saliva. However, this is not true. Though the saliva might carry HIV viral RNA or proviral DNA, they are not harmful, when they reside in the human saliva.

Why HIV is harmless and inactive in saliva?

The saliva does not carry HIV that could be infectious or contagious. This is because; the saliva does not offer a very favorable condition for the sustenance of HIV. In fact, saliva is a good agent of destroying this virus. It carries special antibodies that fight the HIV components. The antiseptic and "hypotonic" property of saliva is conditioned to destroy any foreign cell that is present in the mouth. It works as a natural defense mechanism in our body.

There have been a number of studies conducted to test the presence of HIV in saliva. In a test conducted on 1000 patients, only one was found to be carrying HIV in his saliva and that too in a meager quantity i.e. 1000 times less that than of what he was carrying in his blood. Other tests tried to detect the possibility of contraction of the disease through kissing. No evidence could prove the hypothesis that the disease could be transferred through HIV in saliva.

HIV in India

AIDS had not affected India, as much as it did to the other western and African countries. It ranks 89th in the world.0.34% people in India are affected by AIDS. But the population of India is so huge, that the 0.34% accounts for 2.31 million people…… a big reason to worry. 29% of the patients are women, 3.5% are children and 67.7% are men (according to the latest data by NACO; National AIDS Control Organization, WHO and UNAIDS).

In India, the general population has less vulnerability to AIDS, due to their conservative sexual behaviour. The groups that are prone to HIV are, IDUs (Injected Drug Users) mostly hailing of the north east (7.2%); sex workers (5.1%), from the north east and the rest of the country; clinic attendees, who catch the disease as a result of accidental needle stick (4%); and MSM (men who have sexual relation with men), mostly dominant below the Deccan Region (7.4%).

Karnataka gives the maximum number of reported cases of HIV in India. The statistics is significantly high because of homosexuals (17.6%) and MSM (8.4%). Maharashtra reports the highest number of IDUs (24.4%) followed by Manipur (17.9%) and the rest of the northeast.

Infection of HIV in India

HIV in India is more prevalent between the age group of 30-34 (0.54%). In India, many of the cases go unreported or undiagnosed. This is due to the Social stigma attached to the disease and often, lack of health care services in the remote areas of the country. Most of the HIV patients

belong to the lower sections of the society. Due to lack of education and awareness, a good anti AIDS campaign turns out to be a failure in the rural areas.

It is believed that India is the carrier of Subtype O of HIV 1 virus. Subtype 'O', which originated in Cameroon, stands for 'out liars'.

India has been taking genuine efforts to curtail the growth of this disease since late 80s. Even the population cooperated with all the endeavors taken up by the government. It used the media (both traditional and electronic) to familiarize the people with its adversities. Many NGOs, government bodies and communities are dedicated to the cause. NACO is the biggest government organization, under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that initiated anti AIDS movements in India, with the help of 35 State HIV/AIDS prevention and control Societies working under it.

The poor infrastructure in India has drawn attention of several international bodies to collaborate with NACO. The Australian Agency for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, UK Department for International Development, and USAID have all backed up NACO since 1995. The combined effort could successfully reduce the number of infected from 5.5 million in 2005 to 2.5 million in 2007.

The activities taken up by NACO include support group network for pwople affected with AIDS, Free HIV counseling and testing, Antiretrovial therapy, Public education etc.

Despite all the efforts and all the improvements, the current scenario does not look like a bed of roses. Having a number of tribal areas, where vulnerability to AIDS is maximum, and the government must take extra care to safeguard these zones.

Dealing with HIV in Europe

Dealing with HIV in Europe

WHO, in partnership with the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control, started conducting the HIV/AIDS surveillance program from 2008. It found that the number of infected were increased from 42 per million in 2000, to 56 per million in 2008. But a number of organizations work for the cause to prevent and terminate the wrath of HIV in Europe.

HIV Europe is the biggest body in Europe that works for the betterment of the people living with AIDS. It is an informal advisory board, which enables many NGOs to come together and work for this noble cause. The body provides platform for the patients to share their experiences and stories with the world and thus in a way contribute in the reduction of the growth of the disease. It was founded in June 2005 at Copenhagen. It also works for the health of the patients, improve their quality of life, dismal the social stigma and castration associated with HIV in Europe. It provides employment for the patients and encourages a healthy social and geographical mobility for them.

HIV in Europe

The UNAIDS and European Centre for disease prevention and Control (ECDC) have counted more than 2.3 million patients with HIV in Europe. But the pattern of the spread of the disease varies from region to region. In general, the number of HIV patients has increased in 2008, but the number of those reported, decreased drastically. Broadly, HIV in Europe can be subdivided into three regions, (eastern, central and western), to understand the pattern of growth for the HIV virus better.

Europe is mainly affected by HIV-1 subtype B, as studied from the samples gathered from 16 nations across Europe, by the means of phylogeography of viral sequences. The study shows that HIV in Europe had initially hit the continent from multiple external sources and then propagated through local networking. Penetration of subtype B virus in Europe was a result of migration of this virus from its place of origin, Haiti, in the late sixties. It was then transferred to Europe and America through Sexual and homosexual contact or contaminated drug needles. However, AIDS, due to other subtypes are also growing subsequently in Europe, the effect of subtype B remains the most predominant.

The eastern region had a sharp growth in the disease mainly due to an increase in heterosexuality and drug abuse. 45% were reported due to contaminated drug needles. 44% were a result of heterosexuality. Ukraine reports the maximum number of AIDS diagnoses. 15% of the patients are between the age group of 15 to 24, and 41% of the patients are women.

The central region had a reasonably slower growth than the east. But Poland has been affected the most. In 2008, 530 cases were reported, with was just half of those were reported in 2000.

The western region on the other hand, was blessed to have no growth at all, until 2008. Portugal (36.4million), Malta (19.5million), Italy (17.2million) and Spain (29.1 million) are the four most HIV affected nations in Western Europe. But, after rigorous AIDS campaigns and effective implementation of antiretroviral treatment in the last decade, the number AIDS diagnoses in 2008 was 55% less than that of 2003. These strategies also reduced the AIDS mortality rate from 2,986 (2003) to 1,303 (2008).

Dealing with HIV in Europe

WHO, in partnership with the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control, started conducting the HIV/AIDS surveillance program from 2008. It found that the number of infected were increased from 42 per million in 2000, to 56 per million in 2008. But a number of organizations work for the cause to prevent and terminate the wrath of HIV in Europe.

HIV Europe is the biggest body in Europe that works for the betterment of the people living with AIDS. It is an informal advisory board, which enables many NGOs to come together and work for this noble cause. The body provides platform for the patients to share their experiences and stories with the world and thus in a way contribute in the reduction of the growth of the disease. It was founded in June 2005 at Copenhagen. It also works for the health of the patients, improve their quality of life, dismal the social stigma and castration associated with HIV in Europe. It provides employment for the patients and encourages a healthy social and geographical mobility for them.

HIV in Asia

HIV in Asia remained almost dormant, when it already had become a subject of concern for most western nations in the early eighties. However, it was from the nineties that HIV in Asia started spreading its tentacles to get strong footings in the continent, slowly increasing the number of its prey to 4.7 millions today. But unlike Europe, where the pattern of the growth of the disease has been more or less uniform, every Asian nation has a different story. Not all nations are equally vulnerable and not all are luckily immune. For example, Singapore, which is the seat of all economic activities in Asia, has the least number of reported cases in AIDS.

But, it predicts the possibility of some other dangerous epidemic in the next few years. While India, bears more than 2 million AIDS patients, despite its conservative lifestyle. Vietnam with 86,117,000 patients and Thailand, with 65,493,000, becomes the two worst affected nations in Asia.

HIV in Asia is commonly transmitted due to three main reasons:

• Unprotected Sex – Sex education is still a taboo in most developing Asian nations. As a result, many people do not, or are not comfortable to use condoms. Yet, they indulge in paid sex that leads further to transmission of the disease. 25% - 40% of Asian women caught this disease from men, who either had paid sex, or had homosexual relationships.
• Injecting drug use - This is a common phenomena is China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and North East India. The contaminated needles carry the virus and leads to propagation of the disease.
• Sexual relation between two men - This factor does not open up very easily due to the social norms in the continent. Hence no effective measures can be taken for those men who indulge in it. Thus the cases of AIDS multiply through this track.
• This results to the most unfortunate way of propagation of the AIDS, from a pregnant mother to her child. Unlike the Western Nations, Asia has a higher rate of reproduction resulting in high population. Thus, more infants are prone to inherit this disease from their HIV positive mothers.

It has been found that the genetic composition of the HIV virus is different in Asia. In fact, it may be said that the genetic composition of the HIV virus is different and unique in every nation. The one that is prevalent in Asia is HIV 1 virus with multi-region hybridization assay, with their subtypes, namely, B, C and CRF01_AE, along with their combination.

The Asian HIV/AIDS organization is the biggest body fighting for the cause in Asia. Other bodies include Asian AIDS/HIV archives, CARAM ASIA (Coordination of Action Research on AIDS & Mobility), SEA-AIDS and South and South East Asia Resource Centre on Sexuality. Apart from that, every nation has its own sets of organizations that look after the cause, at a national or a local level.

These organizations aim to impart sex education amongst the lower sections of the society, who are ignorant about HIV in Asia, but are sexually active (and are most vulnerable to this disease). They also conduct workshops, campaigns and rallies with sex workers, in order to increase their awareness about AIDS. These organizations also give economic, moral and social support to those who are living with HIV in Asia.

HIV in Africa

AIDS is the biggest problem and challenge in Africa, than any other nations in the world. The statement especially holds true for the Sub Saharan region, with 22.2 million people living with the disease; of which, 12,000,000 are women and 1,800,000 are children; 1,500,000 deaths occur every year on an average. 11,600,000 children have been orphaned, due to HIV. Every year, Africa loses millions of lives due to AIDS. It is said, that Africa is the originator of HIV, and has been nurturing the disease for several years, without even knowing that they are completely engulfed by it.

The challenge lies in bringing the fast rate of HIV transmission under control, looking after those who are already infected with HIV and taking the responsibility of the children who have been orphaned due to HIV. The countries that are worst affected by AIDS are Swaziland, with 26% of the population infected with AIDS, and followed by Botswana (23.9%) and Lesotho (23.3%). Comparatively, the Western part of Africa is less affected by HIV, with Gabon (the most affected country) having 5% of its population, living with the disease.

Government's Stand

AIDS is more severe in Africa because of the sluggish attitude of the government. No effective actions have been taken to introduce or implement antiretroviral treatments and vaccines to the people. Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa and Robert Mugabe, refuses to believe that AIDS is a result of transmission of HIV infection. They believe AIDS to be a result of poverty. Until the 80s, all that the government did was to promote monogamy, loyalty to one partner and safe sex, rather, restrain from sex. The government was apprehensive about talking openly about AIDS, as that could hamper the well flourished tourism industry. President Mobutu, (1987) of Congo, implemented strict censors, on articles that were written about HIV and AIDS in his country. Moreover, a lot of taboo is associated with the usage of condoms in Africa.

People's Take

The People believe that use of condoms is a disgrace to masculinity, and it is a western strategy to paralyze the population growth of Africa. Apart from that, lack of education, poor infrastructure, corruption and traditional mindset, does not allow the successful implementation of any strategy. A large fraction of the population has no access to proper medication and health care facilities. Poverty has prompted many poor families in Africa, to involve their girl child into prostitution. Many a time, these children are too young to understand the importance of protected sex. In some pauperized nations like Kenya, natural disasters have led to a decrease in the number of clients for these sex workers. As a result, many sex workers just comply with the whims and fancies of the limited clients they get and fall prey to AIDS.

The fight against AIDS started in the 1999, when Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi, declared AIDS as a national disaster. The government was funded by WHO, to bring the problem under control. However, it was not successful. Slowly bodies like National AIDS coordinating Agency (Botswana), AFRICAID, Africa Alive, KIWAKKUKI (for women against AIDS in Kalimanjaro), came up, to take up the problems related to AIDS at a grass root level. Yet, the rate of its success is very much under question, due to the stoic attitude of the majority of the African population.

HIV Statistics of Youth

The youth population account to 50% of the total population affected with HIV. Most of these people come under the age-group of 15 to 35. This whopping figure of HIV statistics of youth is a serious subject of concern.

Why 50% of the HIV infected patients around the world are youth?

1. The youth are the most sexually active people. At the spur of the moment, they often tend to indulge in unsafe sex, or sex with multiple partners, thereby increasing the possibility of getting infected with HIV
2. Children who inherit the disease from their mothers, often to do not feel the presence of HIV in their body, as most of his childhood falls under the seroconversion and asymptomatic period of the disease. By the time the acute symptoms
   
   of HIV is apparent, the child reaches his stage of youth.
3. Drug abuses, and drug injection with the help of Syringe is mostly common amongst the youth. They carelessly share the same needle, which might get infected after several uses.

HIV statistics of youth around the globe: The maximum effected region in the world due to HIV is the sub- Saharan desert. A total of 4.8 million are affected by the disease. 63% of 4.8 million, are youth. This region is followed by South and South East Asia, where the HIV statistics of youth is 18%. In Eastern Europe, Central Asia and South America, the statistics of youth is a decent 6%. In other parts of the worlds, the percentage of youth affected by HIV, vary from 1% to 3%. It has been studied that in nations, which are well industrialized and technically advanced, the percentage of youth affected by HIV is below 2%. This is because of the well chalked out anti HIV strategies, implemented in a mass scale, and HIV oriented education imparted to the common people through advanced mass media and technology.

Interesting facts about HIV statistics of youth:

• In an hour, two youth in USA catch the disease through sex. One fourth of the youth catch the disease due to risky sexual contacts.
• Another one fourth is due to sharing of contaminated drug needles.
• More than half of the newly affected AIDS patients around the globe are youth.

The truth remains that youth is the main cause of multiplication of the disease and in order to uproot the problems of HIV, it is very essential to curb its propagation amongst the youth. This is because, it is the youth who are the most active at sexual relationships, drug abuse, prostitution, and reproduction. It has to be kept in mind, that it is even more necessary to curb its spread amongst the women and young girls, as they pass this virus to the next generation, through reproduction. Therefore, in order to reduce its impact, the young lot, irrespective of their gender, has to be treated, through antiretroviral therapy or other HIV vaccines.

In most developed nations, high risked groups are given free counseling that promotes safe sex and the use of condoms. But that is not the case in the underdeveloped nations. Youth must be taught about this disease through sex-education and mass campaigns.

HIV in the 1980s

Not too many people knew about the HIV AIDS epidemic in the 1970s. It was mistaken for a kind of cancer called Kaposi’s sarcoma, wherein a person gets weaker by the day. No one could figure out the reason behind such weakness and loss of immunity until the 1980s, when the disease took the shape of pandemic and expanded its tentacles in all the four largest continents, USA, Europe, Africa and Asia. There was no other option, but to contemplate on HIV in the 1980s it, as it demanded so many lives around the globe.

HIV in the 1980s took a new turn. It gave new hopes to mankind against the disease, as it could figure out the basic nature, causes, and then gradually, partially effective vaccines for the disease were made. The 1980s is considered the “beginning” of AIDS, as it affected more and more people. It was also the nascent stage of AIDS awareness, as people could understand the main reason behind the growing number of incurable opportunistic diseases like pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Till then, no one had any clue regarding things like how the disease transmitted, who can have the disease, or how can a person acquire the disease. A number of landmark events followed

• It was in 1981, a scientist first discovered that the disease could be acquired by injection of drugs from needles contaminated with HIV.
• In June 1982, a case study of gay community showed that it could be transferred through infectious homosexual sexual contacts
• In the same year, it was discovered that the origination of HIV in USA was from Haiti
• It was clear by the end of the year, that this disease was there to stay for a longer period, and hence, it came to the notice of many more people.
• A number of organizations were set up to work for the cause, like San Francisco AIDS Foundation, AIDS project Los Angeles, Terrence Higgins Trust etc.
• In 1983, it was discovered that HIV could be transferred through heterosexual contacts and infected blood transfusion too
• The researchers isolated a new kind of virus, the HIV in the 1980s, which was now identified as the main cause of AIDS
• In 1883, WHO conducted the first AIDS survey in USA. An odd 2,803 cases were detected with HIV in the 1980s in USA. By the end of 1983, this statistics rose up to 3,064 and a death toll of 1292
• A number of researches, campaigns, prompted USA food and drug administration centre to conduct blood tests for HIV on a mass scale.
• Needle exchange programs and AIDS Charity Avers were started in 1986
• Slowly more and more antiretroviral vaccines and therapies came up that could nip the bud of the virus at its initial stages.

The other advanced diagnostic methods like oral AIDS testing and rapid AIDS resting were only invented after 1990s, when AIDS as an epidemic became more familiar to the world.

HIV in the 1980s was not familiar as an epidemic in the other parts of the world. It slowly came to prominence in USA due to its advanced biotechnology. With the diagnosis of HIV in less than 3,000 patients, they took immediate efforts to fight it. However, in Africa, though the statistics of HIV patients were much more than that in USA (it reached almost a lakh in certain parts of Africa), it could not do much about it due to lack of good infrastructure. Africa could not even detect the existence of the disease and its causes, until it was aided by USA and WHO. However, by the time, it came to notice, it became quite difficult for Africa to handle HIV in the 1980s situation.

HIV in Prisons and Jails

It has been found that prevalence of HIV in prisons and jails is five times more than that of the general population. In USA, most of prisoners are blacks. The female prisoners are more affected by HIV that their male counterparts. In most of the cases, an inmate is tested for HIV during entry into a jail or during the custody period. The inmate, if tested HIV positive goes through the following:

• He may not be able to conceal his HIV positive status. People around will come to know about it as the community is so small.
• The HIV positive inmate may be deprived from various activities and assignments in the jail
• An HIV positive inmate gets a separate place to stay to ensure that a normal inmate does not contract the deadly disease.

However, in some jails many positive provisions are made for HIV positive inmates:

• They are given regular antiretroviral treatments
• Peer education is given in certain cases, so that others do not degrade the person suffering from HIV in prison and jails.

Successful treatments of HIV in prisons and jails depends on some factors:

• Mental health problems of the prisoner
• Previous treatment history
• The state of viral load at that given time
• Term of imprisonment
• Other habits of the inmates like drug abuse
• Behavior and nature of the inmate
• Availability of food and state of mind of the inmate.
• Resistance and biological response to the medication. In the jail, the poor quality of food often makes the body less receptive to medication

As said earlier, the number of female inmates affected with HIV are much more in number than the male inmates. More than 10% of the inmates in every state and federal jails are females. Of them, 61% acquired the disease through drug injection, which is only 39% for their male counterparts.

The death rate of HIV in prisons and jails are also very high and unfortunate. The lack of proper treatment and proper social and moral support plays a big role in further degenerating the body and mind of the patients. This takes a toll on their mental wellbeing and the urge of living a normal healthy life. In 2003, about 268 inmates died of HIV in prisons and jails in USA. This rate was found to be double than that of the general population of the USA. In the last few years, many efforts were taken to reduce the number of HIV deaths in jails. The efforts taken were partly successful. The death rate reduced to a whopping 70% in the jails that kept male inmate whereas there was only 40% reduction in jails having female inmates.

USA was the first nation to identify the presence of HIV in prisons and jails, and it was one of the first nations to take serious actions in favor of the prisoners living with HIV. The other nations who gradually followed the footsteps of USA are Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, France and Netherlands. The listed Sub Saharan nations had no other options but to take actions to avoid HIV propagation by the end of the last decade, while the other nations had the required infrastructure and the zeal to abort its growth.

HIV Research Jobs

HIV is one of the most challenging problems being faced by mankind. It is one of those few challenges, that man cannot overpower while the microscopic organism is creating a pandemic, to claim thousands of lives every year. No wonder, the quality of the brains, presently involved to resolve the matters related to HIV is inadequate. Therefore, mankind needs more and more human resources, to contribute to the research programs, for overshadowing the disease.

A person who is passionate about microbiology, virology, and can burn the midnight oil being drowned within research works, can definitely opt for HIV research jobs. Many institutes, organizations, hospitals and universities, conduct research projects on HIV. Examples of two famous hospitals that regularly offer HIV research jobs are Massachusetts General Hospital (USA) and Chris Hani Baraghwanath Hospital (South Africa). HIV research groups at Liverpool University and National Institute of Medical research, both in UK, do the same. UCSF AIDS health-project and HIV vaccine-trial network receive hundreds of job applications, for researchers every year. Both the institutes share the common goal of wiping away the HIV virus from the world.

Scholarships available to sponsor HIV research jobs

• HIV research trust scholarships: it is granted annually to very few research scholars
• HIV prevention Research Advocacy Fellowship: this is sponsored by AVAC and the Global Campaign for Microbicides (GCM).
• Post Doctorate in virology and HIV research, at Heidelberg University, Germany.
• Post Doctoral Fellowship Behavioral Sciences Research in HIV Infection is another research program offered by Columbia University School of Public Health.
• UNAIDS Special Youth Programs offers a nine-month remunerated fellowship to research scholars within the age of 20 to 24 years
• LANS, in USA funds a number of NGOs and Scholarship Programs
• amfAR- the Foundation of AIDS Research offers scholarships in basic biomedical research.
• Woodrow Wilson Fellowships

Apart from these there are various other institutes which employ fulltime researchers. It is not a fellowship program, but a permanent employment, with lucrative annual packages. The bodies, UCSF, USMHRP(US military HIV research program), SCHARP (Statistical Centre for HIV AIDS Research Prevention), NAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), National Health Education Institute Department of AIDS/ STD prevention, UNAIDS, WHO, are some of the leading organizations that offer HIV research Jobs.

However, bagging the above mentioned jobs is not easy. At least a fresher cannot expect to take up these with no significant research experience in his/her resume. Therefore, it is always better to apply for these jobs after being part of a few years of fellowship programs or after working as a research assistant under a famous scholar. A good PhD or post PhD degree from a reputed university can also pull you up in the list of preference. The candidate should also produce a well-drafted and strong recommendation from his previous guide, in order to come to the eligibility of these competitive HIV research jobs.

HIV Research jobs are not for those, who run after success. This job does not assure any formula for success. In fact, it could offer more failure than success. The researcher must have the patience and strength to take all the failures on stride yet fight for success.

HIV Research jobs may be very lucrative and interesting. However, once you take up this life; it will not be a bed of roses. It requires much of hard work in the laboratories, and field-work, in case you research on the sociological aspects.

Stem Cells to Fight HIV

A number of researches have been conducted to reduce the propagation of HIV in human body. One of the most recent and sought after research is the stem cells to fight HIV infected cells. Researchers have very tactfully engineered human blood stem cells that are capable of killing HIV infected cells.

This formula is not only applicable for HIV but also for other chronic viral diseases. It is a genetic vaccine, invented at the UCLA AIDS Institute. This research is still at its nascent stage, and the experiment has not yet been implemented on humans at a large scale yet. Rats are used to carry out all the practical requirements of this experiment, by taking a note about their anatomical reaction to the stem cells. Though, the researchers have also taken the help of some human samples too.

The concept:

The CD 8 cytotoxic T-lymphocytes cells, or the killer T-cells, play the most important role to fight the disease in human body. The researchers at the UCLA AIDS Institute took samples of these cells from HIV infected individuals. The T- Cell receptors were identified to be the molecules, that helped the T- cells in identifying the HIV infected cells in the human body and kill them. Though these cells are initially able to destroy the HIV infected cells, they cannot continue with this internal war for too long, as they are less in quantity in a normal human body.

Therefore, the idea behind stem cells to fight HIV, is, to artificially implant these stem cells on the tissues of the human thymus, so that its number could be artificially increased, conditioning the stem cells to fight HIV better. Inside the human body, these stem cells will be transformed into CD 8 cells, in huge numbers that can destroy the cells having the harmful HIV protein. These cells are multifunctional and HIV specific in nature.

The experiment has been quite successful on rats, and now the next big step was to implement it on the human body and measure the efficiency of stem cell to fight HIV. A bone marrow transplant, with stem cells was conducted on a HIV positive person, and that could reduce the level of HIV in his blood. However, it was also noticed that the procedure was very painful, tiring and infection prone. Another demerit of this research is that, it is prone to cross- contamination of samples.

However, it has several advantages too. First of all the main purpose of stem cell to fight HIV brings hope to several people, as it is would be the first non-medicinal method to fight the disease. It can prolong our lives in a better way. This process involves the use of stem cells from one’s own body. This reduces the chance of rejection of foreign cells that are prone to be incompatible with the patient’s body. It can completely uproot HIV from the blood, as the stem cells on a large scale can now overpower the HIV cells.

Perinatal HIV Research Unit

The largest HIV and AIDS research unit in Africa, under the University of Witwatersrand, Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) was established in 1996, to check the propagation HIV from mother to child. It is located in one of the largest hospitals in Soweto, South Africa, called Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. All the researches and scholarly activities, pertaining to HIV AIDS, occur here. However, its work have now expanded to various other aspects of HIV, including, treatment, prevention, vaccination, and even social research.

AIMs of Perinatal HIV Research Unit:

• To reduce the impact of AIDS epidemic in Africa
• Join hands with the local communities at the grass root level, for a better outcome
• Empowerment of the pauperized patients
• Research should be carried out with the best standard of ethics, retaining the dignity of the community and the rights of the people.

PROJECTS taken up by Perinatal HIV Research Unit:

• The unit takes up diligent bio-medical research projects, covering prevention, treatment and care.
• It conducts voluntary counseling and testing (VTC) for couples, educating them about safe sex, loyalty towards one partner, and other important aspects related to HIV. For young children they conduct free vaccination programs, vaccine trial programs and diaphragm interventions.
• The unit conducts clinical trials for better antiretroviral therapy, in collaboration with other drug research companies. The initial and the biggest project taken up by Perinatal HIV Research Unit was prevention of mother to child transmission. In collaboration with National/ Provincial Health Department PMTCT protocol, it became a huge success in 2001. Together they opened thirteen clinics that council the pregnant women free, offer rapid HIV testing and post test counseling. This project also has provision for TB screening and WHO staging, Group test on HIV/AIDS and pregnancy, CD4 test counts, and infant feeding counseling. Another successful project was the Tirisanong care treatment in Soweto, with the help of US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS. It aims to expand the Comprehensive Care Management and Treatment services, in order improve on the quality and quantity of the treatment program in Soweto. It involves more health care workers in the health care centers by giving them proper training, and strive to improve the communication between the patients, community workers and doctors. The project also works at improvising the technical expertise and research infrastructure.
• The Pediatric treatment Project was started in 1998, to provide triple therapy for HIV infected children-
  1. The Cher Trial
  2. CIPRA-SA Project 4
  3. Paediatric Immune Correlates of early Anti HIV Therapy.

The organization has also carried out a number of Social investment projects like mindset health (to impart HIV education and training to health care workers, patients and general public) and Twilight street childrenProject (The HIV positive children are given distant-learning facilities through broadband, so that they get a proper direction to future)

There are many other projects taken up by PERINATAL HIV RESEARCH UNIT that provides care to people at every stage of HIV. Its work was initially limited to Soweto. But now, it is expanding its work to Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Western Cape. As many as 200,000 women and 17000 men have had access to antiretroviral treatments, in the last seven years, due to the efforts taken up by Perinatal HIV Research Unit.

Current HIV Research

There has been a number of HIV oriented research so far. Many more are taken up each day. HIV research is probably the most challenging of all medical researches. Every year several HIV research programs are conducted. However, the present year brought big hopes in this field, as the current HIV research in the year 2010, is really a big success.

A few latest and current HIV research:

1. NEW CELLULAR ‘ARMOUR’ DEVELOPMENT TO PREVENT INFECTION BY AIDS VIRUS: Mr. Felix Goni conducted this research with the help of CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. The research yielded a new way to combat HIV attack by creating a protecting shield, “ARMOUR”, on the patient’s vulnerable cells, and thereby preventing the virus from entering these cells. This current HIV research was based on the theory of ‘Fusion of the membranes’. The fusion between the membrane of the host cell and that of the virus leads to the admission of the virus into the skin. This happens because
   • Our cell membranes are very fragile
   • It also creates an orifice that facilitates the fusion
   The main aim of the research was to restrain this fusion, by creating protecting armor around the cell membrane. This is achieved with the help of a drug that makes the membranes of the cells more rigid, non-porous and non-penetrable.
2. Another current HIV research considers mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), as a therapy for HIV related nephropathy. This research was conducted by Dr. Pravin C. Singal, at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in several American cities like New York, Texas, San Antonio and Manhasset. The research propounded that activation of mTOR and renal diseases can be treated with rapamycin. Blocking these mTOR can treat the spread of HIV. mTOR, a protein substance controls cell functions like cell divisions. mTOR becomes more active during certain diseases like cancer. This current HIV research showed that it also gets active during HIV, and therefore, blocking them can kill the HIV infected cells too.
3. Another current HIV research found two human antibodies, namely VRC01 and VRC02, that can fight almost all HIV strains, and combat the HIV infection. However, its success was only limited to the laboratory setup. If these antibodies prove to be successful outside the laboratory too, then it can be used to prepare better HIV vaccines and antiretroviral drugs. They can also be used to isolate antibodies and design vaccines for other infections too. This research was conducted by Anthony S. Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The research team believes that these antibodies can neutralize the virus strains more efficiently than any other antibodies.
4. Study of HIV viral protein structure, in order to design new molecular medicines, is a current HIV research going on in National Physical Laboratory, USA. It studied the viral protein structures more vividly, so that the pharmacists can identify their loopholes, and design better drugs for the people, by targeting those loopholes.
5. Another current HIV research was conducted by Alexander Revzin. He designed a “lab on a chip” device for testing HIV. This micro fluidic device can capture the HIV infected T-cells from our white blood cells, and figures out the type and level of cytokines, an inflammatory protein, released by the cells.

Current HIV researches are novel in approach. They try to discover various aspects of the disease, resorting to some really out of the box thoughts and ideas. That is the reason, why most of the recent researches were so successful.

HIV Rashes

HIV has its effect all over the body including the human skin. There, it takes the form of red pigmentation or constant growth of pimples. Patches similar to tropical fungal skin infections or eczema can also grow because of HIV infection. It has been studied that 90% of the people who have contracted HIV, have encountered some type of skin infections.

However, doctors say, that HIV rashes are not a subject of concern because they are not contagious. These rashes do not rupture like chicken pox. These rashes cannot be apparently seen, as they usually grow in the shoulder and chest area. More over, proper medication can easily treat HIV rashes. Most of the time, other types of pre existing rashes, accompany HIV rashes.

HIV rashes occur due to two reasons

• When one have contracted HIV virus
• When one consumes medications that are used to treat HIV virus.

However, not every unusual rash means the presence of HIV. Rashes can also occur in HIV positive people due to drug eruption, Kaposi Sarcoma lesion and Herpes infection. Nevertheless, it is always wise to consult the dermatologist. Though people belonging to the high-risk groups like, homosexuals, IDUs, people with multiple sex partners should always visit a doctor whenever they encounter any symptoms of unusual rash on any part of their skin.

The salient features of HIV rash are:

1. They are slightly protruded, dark brown, small, and quite similar to maculopapular rashes.
2. They mostly grow in the human trunk, shoulder and occasionally on our limbs.
3. Fever, diarrhea, headaches, muscle pain, enlarged limb nodes and white patches in the mouth may accompany HIV rashes.
4. It lasts for hardly 2 weeks and never appears during the dormant phase of the disease.
5. It may or may not have itching sensations.
6. Acute HIV rashes can lead to peeling of the upper layer of the skin, coupled with sores and blisters.

When does HIV rash grow?

Rashes are the symptoms of the primary stages of the infection. They grow during the period of sero-conversion, when the antibodies may develop which is about two or three weeks after the contraction of HIV. If HIV test is done during the existence of HIV rashes, then there is more possibility for the diagnostic test to be more accurate. The tinges of the virus and presence of HIV antibodies can be easily located in this stage. Therefore, this is the best time for the highly risked groups to go for the test, in order to get a more accurate result.

Relief from HIV rashes

• Stay away from direct sunlight or extreme heat
• Similarly, even extreme cold should be avoided.
• One should not stop, start or pause the intake of rash treatment medication, without the consent of the doctor
• Over the counter medications like Benadryl, Hydrocortisone cream may be used to curb the itching tendencies.
• Unprotected sex can lead to contagious rashes. Therefore people belonging to the high risk groups, should indulge in safe sex.

HIV Prevention

They say prevention is better than cure. Then why not observe the same for the deadly disease of HIV and save our precious life by observing some simple preventive methods?

There is no cure for HIV. Therefore, the one who has contracted it has no other option but to regret for his carelessness. Although, he can decrease the wrath of the disease with the help of advanced medications and new antiretroviral therapies, he cannot completely get rid of this fatal virus. Therefore, it always better to take HIV preventions, then suffer from it.

Taking HIV prevention does not involve any monetary expense or physical risks. However, it can save you from them. The best way to take HIV prevention is by putting up friction on its causes. Therefore, it is better to know what causes HIV:

• Injection of drugs with the help of used and contaminated syringe. If the syringe was previously used by an infected person, it maligns the syringe, to pass on the disease to the next user.
• Unsafe sex with a person having HIV.
• Unsafe sex with people who have multiple sexual partners. At some point, this group of people is likely to come in contact with an infected person. As he contracts the disease, he is likely to pass it on to his next sexual partners.
• HIV transmission is also very common amongst MSM (men having sex with men)
• From infected mother to her fetus. It is called vertical transmission of HIV
• From the infected mother to her child through breast feeding.
• Any contact of an infected person’s blood with a normal person’s blood

If a person keeps the ways of HIV transmission in mind, then he need not think much about HIV prevention. The following can help the prevention of HIV:

Injection of drugs and HIV transmission:

To avoid HIV transmission through injection of drugs takes the following HIV preventions:

• First of all stop using drugs.
• Avoid using syringes to inject drugs
• Do not use the same syringe on more than one person
• Do not use the syringe more than once.
• Bend and break the tip of all needles, so that it cannot be used by anybody in the future.

Sexual route of HIV transmission:

To avoid HIV contraction through sexual routes, keep the following things in mind:

• Use condoms: It restricts the movement of infected semen from one body to another. It also avoids unwanted pregnancy, and indirectly prevents vertical transmission of HIV too.
• Loyalty: Loyalty to one sexual partner can assure safety from HIV. The more the sexual contacts with more than one person, the greater the risk of HIV contraction.
• Abstinence from sex: staying away from sex for sometime, or where one can predict some risk, is a good way of HIV prevention.
• If you are a gay, then too the same rule applies. Use of precautions and loyalty to one partner can prevent HIV.

Vertical transmission of HIV from mother to the child:

To avoid vertical transmission of HIV, do the following things:

• Go for an antiretroviral treatment immediately after you get to know that you are pregnant.
• These days, there are lots of medicines that can completely spare your fetus from the deadly disease, and in 96% of the cases, give your child a healthy life.
• Listen to the doctors and go for regular treatments and check ups
• When your child is born, do not breast feed the baby if you are HIV positive. The virus transmits through breast milk.

The above mentioned points are very easy and smart ways of HIV prevention. It can not only save you from contracting the disease but also save several other lives.