Caution over HIV 'cure' claims

[Bubsa]

I snipped this from the BBC website and, quite frankly, I can't believe what I've just read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4432564.stm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doctors say they want to investigate the case of a British man with HIV who apparently became clear of the virus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scotsman Andrew Stimpson, 25 was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2002 but was found to be negative in October 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Stimpson, from London, said he was "one of the luckiest people alive".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust confirmed the tests were accurate but were unable to confirm Mr Stimpson's cure because he had declined to undergo further tests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A statement from the trust said: "This is a rare and complex case. When we became aware of Mr Stimpson's HIV negative test results we offered him further tests to help us investigate and find an explanation for the different results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"So far Mr Stimpson has declined this offer."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A trust spokeswoman added: "We urge him, for the sake of himself and the HIV community, to come in and get tested.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"If he doesn't feel that he can come to Chelsea and Westminster then he should please go to another HIV specialist."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Miracle'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There have been anecdotal accounts before from Africa of people shaking off the HIV virus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Stimpson, who is originally from Largs in Ayrshire, said: "There are 34.9 million people with HIV globally and I am just one person who managed to control it, to survive from it and to get rid of it from my body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"For me that is unbelievable - it is a miracle. I think I'm one of the luckiest people alive."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Stimpson told the News of the World and Mail on Sunday that he became depressed and suicidal after being told he was HIV-positive but remained well and did not require medication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further tests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some 14 months later he was offered another test by doctors, which came back negative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He sought compensation but has apparently been told there is no case to answer because there was no fault with the testing procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He has told the papers he would do anything he could to help find a cure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust, said: "This appears to be a highly unusual case and without further tests it is impossible to draw any conclusions for people living with HIV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The virus is extremely complex and there are many unknowns about how it operates and how people's bodies react to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Therefore, if this case were able to shed further light, it could be extremely valuable for research into treatments or a cure."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaccine clue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aids expert Dr Patrick Dixon, from international Aids group Acet, said the case was "very, very unusual".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I've come across many anecdotal reports of this kind of thing happening in Africa, some quite recently, but it's difficult to verify them," he told BBC News 24.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You have to be rock-solid sure that both samples came from the same person, no mix-up in the laboratory, no mistakes in the testing, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This is the first well-documented case."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He said the case was important because "inside his immune system is perhaps a key that could allow us to develop some kind of vaccine".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I may be acting totally ignorant, wishful and naive but could this be one of the most important breakthroughs in mankind?

[Trip]

about ten years ago the New South Wales bloodbank (I think) discovered a weaker strain of AIDS which can be cured by the body, since then there have been ~10 cases discovered here in Australia. Scientists have been attempting to create a cure using those cases.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think this is anything new, unless I'm missing something

[Peter]

You're not being ignorant by any means, but I don't see this as very breakthrough. It merely effects a single person, who might have obtained a weak strain of the virus who's immune system was better than most, and outsmarted the virus. Yes, they say it's incredibly rare, but it seems to have happened. If he won't admit to any lifestyle changes or won't take any tests, then I'd say there's no change because of his refusal to help. Nothing new can be found out that way.

[Higothrekk]

I really hope this isn't a case of HIV being able to be cured with somthing like a pill, this would just lead to people being even more careless than they are now. I accept there are cases of people who aren't stupid getting HIV, but really so many of them could be easily avoided.

[Evilperson]

I think what happened is when he was originally tested they mixed up blood samples 8)

[DarkRider]

until a cure or even treatment comes out for the millions of people who don't have this weaker strain or don't have brick wall immune systems then it isn't anything that special.

[niner]

I think what happened is when he was originally tested they mixed up blood samples 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Could be. Or he doesnt want to do more tests incase the second one was a fluke and he's still positive. Go from feeling like nothing to the "luckiest guy in the world" back to nothing again.

[Barihawk]

It's not really useful unless he submits to further testing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone else think the BBC has bad writers? Half of that article is the quotes restated without quotations.

[Bubsa]

Could just be my bad copy paste job.

 

 

 

Today, he says he'll be more than happy to do further tests, so I dunno where the beeb got that source from.

 

 

 

As to the mixed blood samples, the man tried to sue because he thought that was it too but apparently it's not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just to add, saw it while browsing the Daily Mail today, so, therefore, it must be true. For the Daily Mail is always right...

[Craven_Image]

He's not the only case; there's been cases of prostitutes becoming immune to HIV.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure if it's a breakthrough for man-kind though because it would be very hard to replicate whatever process happened within him to cure the HIV.

[somaster989]

i actually saw a very interesting program about disease on PBS which talked about prostitutes in Nairobi, Kenya who would sleep with about 10 partners every day and get HIV, but would not get infected with AIDS. (fyi, HIV is the virus that causes AIDS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

interestingly, they found that these people had developed an immune system that would destroy the HIV viruses before they could infect other cells. im not sure of the details, maybe someone can explain this better than me.

[Merre]

I think the man isn't very thankfull... he got rid of the HIV and knows how it feels to have the disease. Why does he refuse to undergo more tests? It could be the key to an efficient cure against the virus.

 

 

 

So in an indirect way he's guilty to more AIDS-victims...

[Mercifull]

HIV basiclly kills a specific kind of White Blood cells (T cells) which co-ordinates the bodies defence system and immune stuff. The HIV is a retrovirus which inserts itself into the RNA of the cell reproducing. Because retroviruses reproduce with a high degree of effort the cell eventually dies. The average person has an average CD4+ cell count of about 600-1200 per cubic millimetre of blood. AIDS occurs when the count drops below 200.

 

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/a ... efault.stm

[BLENDER_]

everyone is different one person could kiss someone with the HIV virus and get it and die 9 months later..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

another person could have intercourse with someone with the worst aids on the planet catch hardly anything and luckily "cure" the virus but in reality it didnt cure anything it just means his body wasnt able to "home" the aids virus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lucky lucky guy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i knew someone on this other forum who 4 years ago said he had 6 years to live :( i havent seen him in awhile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kids dont share needles and please use protection

[Mercifull]

everyone is different one person could kiss someone with the HIV virus and get it and die 9 months later

 

 

 

Actually no.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HIV can only be transmitted via blood and sexual fluids. It is found in saliva of infected people but not in sufficient quantities to actually spread to someone else. Plus you are VERY unlikely to contract HIV and then die within 9 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please do not post things like this again and I urge you to please read up on the HIV virus and AIDS before posting these "facts" again. Thanks

[BLENDER_]

are u kidding?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

you can die months later if ur body isnt healthy enough

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

everything i posted was true... if you kiss someone with HIV and they have a cut in their mouth, or they an open sore in their mouth you can contract the virus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its all about being healthy look at magic johnson hes had HIV for over 20 YEARS CUZ HES RICH AND HEALTHY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

crackheads get HIV and die months later from aids because they cant afford any treatment or they dont have food and their body just shuts down

[Mercifull]

are u kidding?

 

 

 

you can die months later if ur body isnt healthy enough

 

 

 

Mmmkay, as a worst case scenario if you are already very unhealthy and dont have any treatment at all i guess its possibly. You wont die from HIV in a couple of month, however you might die from an opportunist infection because of the lower T-cell count.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

everything i posted was true... if you kiss someone with HIV and they have a cut in their mouth, or they an open sore in their mouth you can contract the virus

You cannot cath HIV through kissing. I guess again in the worst case scenario where you have an open wound in your mouth, and the person you are kissing is bleeding from an open wound in thier mouth too its possible. :roll:

 

 

 

HIV cannot be caught:...

 

 

 

through the air, or by coughing and sneezing

 

 

 

by kissing, touching or shaking hands

 

 

 

by sharing crockery or cutlery

 

 

 

through contact with toilet seats

 

 

 

through insect or animal bites

 

 

 

through swimming pools

 

 

 

or by eating food prepared by someone with HIV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

its all about being healthy look at magic johnson hes had HIV for over 20 YEARS CUZ HES RICH AND HEALTHY

 

 

 

Many people live for years and years while HIV positive, it has nothing to do with how rich they are however. It all depends on the agressiveness of the virus and the bodies reaction to the different drug combinations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

crackheads get HIV and die months later from aids because they cant afford any treatment or they dont have food and their body just shuts down

Riiiiiiight, maybe in America its like that but over in the UK "crackheads" are just as entitled to NHS healthcare and free anti-hiv drugs as the queen. Clean needles are also available to combot the spread of the virus by needle sharing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I urge you to speak to a proper doctor about this rather than acting like you know it all.

[Impaler99]

Merci is right, and blender, please dont ever post again. Im sorry for being rude but you are so misinformed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody who read your post blender, is now dumber. See, even I am, i said dumber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BTW i read on this the other day, and thought it was amazing, I think i read it yesterday, not sure exactly when.

[BLENDER_]

okay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i thought i watched this thing on oprah it was awhile ago i thought i knew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

how does someone get rid of it then why wouldnt that guy let them study him...

[Impaler99]

okay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i thought i watched this thing on oprah it was awhile ago i thought i knew

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

how does someone get rid of it then why wouldnt that guy let them study him...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest, i see his side of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He is a human being, not a lab rat. Yeah he could possibly help cure it, but most likely not, and if he chooses to try and live a normal life so be it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Odd thing is, his partner has HIV I believe, so it would make sense for him to find a cure for it in any way he can.

[Bubsa]

Guy's...he is letting people study him now he's thought about it.

 

 

 

This is a classic case of read through the entire thread. The man is allowing himself to be tested.

[Despaxes]

Mercifull, you are WAY more informed than blender, and most evrything you said was true EXCEPT "It is found in saliva of infected people" actually it isnt... thats why many people believe that the cure or immunization to HIV may be found in saliva..... and as

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And MErci im almost positive (99.99%) that Uk doesnt recieve free Hiv treatment.... do you know how expensive that stuff is to make..... maybe you should re look into this (and crackheads cant be poor...theyre on crack! i think after getting HIV theyd get rehab)

[BlueTear]

Mercifull, you are WAY more informed than blender, and most evrything you said was true EXCEPT "It is found in saliva of infected people" actually it isnt... thats why many people believe that the cure or immunization to HIV may be found in saliva.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US Center for Disease Control webpage about HIV says there are "trace amounts" of HIV found in saliva.

[E_D_G_E_1039]

It's not really useful unless he submits to further testing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone else think the BBC has bad writers? Half of that article is the quotes restated without quotations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I noticed that, but assumed it was Bubsa's quoting (though now that I think, there isnt really a way for them to just disappear during quoting... :lol: )

[Mercifull]

 

Mercifull, you are WAY more informed than blender, and most evrything you said was true EXCEPT "It is found in saliva of infected people" actually it isnt... thats why many people believe that the cure or immunization to HIV may be found in saliva.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The US Center for Disease Control webpage about HIV says there are "trace amounts" of HIV found in saliva.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There ARE trace amounts of HIV in saliva but its not enough to transmit infection ;)

 

 

 

And yeah the UK does get free HIV treament. Its all on the NHS. Our tax money goes towards free healthcare for all.