How is HIV hiding in the body?

US scientists have found that HIV can escape pharmaceutical attacks by hiding in the intestinal tract.

HIV attacks the immune system Even when blood tests show that anti-viral treatment has been effective, the virus continues to proliferate in the intestine, suppressing immune function.

The research team at the University of California, USA, suggested that HIV patients should be monitored through bowel biopsies as well as blood tests.

This is the first study to show that while current HIV treatment is successful in reducing viral load and increasing immune cells to fight infection in peripheral blood, it is not really effective in intestinal fluid.

Dr. Satya Dandekar
(Photo: bestsyndication)

Dr. Satya Dandekar and his team followed 10 patients treated with HAART.

They took blood and intestinal fluid from patients before and after 3 years of treatment. Three patients were treated very early, within 4-6 weeks of being infected with the virus, while others were infected for at least 1 year before treatment.

Patients who were treated early had fewer signs of intestinal infection before treatment and recovered more intestinal immune function after treatment, compared with other patients.

Dr Dandekar explains: "We found that a small delay also caused the virus to hide in the gut and escape the effects of the drug." The results will help find a better treatment for HIV-infected patients.

MT