Aids HIV FAQ

HIV<>AIDS? C'mon over to misc.health.aids!

Question:

>This is my idea about a possible treatment for AIDS, >which has the distinction of being the only file ever >rejected by both sci.med.aids and the FAQ for misc.health.aids. >Learn what THEY don’t want you to know!

[AZT + heavy water theory deleted] Mark Thorson is claiming censorship because his AZT and heavy water theory was not included in the misc.health.aids FAQ. The fact is, his theory has been posted many times to misc.health.aids without censorship. Misc.health.aids is NOT even a moderated newsgroup, yet he still is crying censorship! As one of THEM, I encourage you to read his post about giving people AZT and heavy water. It is a totally unfounded , and possibly dangerous and untested, theory. >In summary, my idea is: >Note that my idea assumes that HIV causes AIDS, and that >AZT is an effective drug against HIV (at least until the HIV >develops AZT resistance).  If either premise is incorrect, >then this idea is probably worthless.

Mark, AZT is a worthless drug. I have asked you many times for proof that it prolongs life or delays symptoms. You have never cited one study that says that it does either. You are suggesting that people take two unproven toxic substances as a treatment for AIDS. This combination has not even been tried in vitro! Put up or shut up Mark. How long does AZT prolong life and how long does it delay symptoms? -James M. Scutero, PWA, original proponent of misc.health.aids.

Response:

This is my idea about a possible treatment for AIDS, which has the distinction of being the only file ever rejected by both sci.med.aids and the FAQ for misc.health.aids. Learn what THEY don’t want you to know! In summary, my idea is:     a)  AZT is claimed to be effective against AIDS because         it has greater affinity for the binding site on the         viral reverse transcriptase than for the binding         site on the cellular DNA polymerase.  This is         because the reverse transcriptase is a faster and         less-selective enzyme, so AZT is more frequently         accepted by the reverse transcriptase and rejected         by the cellular DNA polymerase.     b)  AZT causes severe side-effects because it also         binds to the DNA polymerase, even though it doesn’t         do this very often.     c)  Heavy water is toxic in large amounts because it         changes the structure of water.  This makes it more         difficult for enzymes to bind to the molecules they         operate on.  The most sensitive enzymes are those         which have complex mating surfaces, in particular         the enzymes which make DNA chains.  These enzymes         must discriminate between four distinct, yet very         similar molecules.  The synthesis of RNA is also         affected, but to a much lesser extent. Therefore, I think it is possible, if not likely, that:     e)  Heavy water at levels below the toxic level (15%)         makes the DNA polymerase more selective.  Rather         than using a level so high that it makes the DNA         polymerase reject the molecules it should accept,         a level might exist at which the DNA polymerase         will more frequently reject the molecules it should         reject (like AZT) while still accepting the         molecules it should accept.     f)  The less-selective reverse transcriptase would be         less affected by the presence of heavy water.     g)  A sub-toxic level of heavy water would therefore         lessen the side-effects of AZT, while having minimal         impact on the action of AZT against the reverse         transcriptase.  This could be used to relieve the         suffering of people with severe side-effects, or to         allow people with minor side-effects to step up to         a higher dosage of AZT. Note that my idea assumes that HIV causes AIDS, and that AZT is an effective drug against HIV (at least until the HIV develops AZT resistance).  If either premise is incorrect, then this idea is probably worthless. WHAT IS HEAVY WATER? Heavy water is just like ordinary water, except the atoms of hydrogen in H2O have been substituted with atoms of heavy hydrogen, i.e. deuterium.  Heavy water is also called D2O. Deuterium is a non-radioactive isotope of hydrogen, which occurs naturally at a low level.  Sea water is about 0.015% heavy water, while fresh water is about 0.014%. Deuterium is just like hydrogen, except that it has a neutron in its nucleus.  Hydrogen is a proton orbited by an electron.  Deuterium is a proton and a neutron together, orbited by an electron.  The extra weight of the neutron gives deuterium chemical properties which are different from light hydrogen. IS HEAVY WATER TOXIC? At very high concentrations, deuterium is indeed toxic. Quoting from "The Biology of Heavy Water", by Joseph Katz, in _Scientific_American_ (July 1960), page 108: "The largest animal that has yet been deuterated is a small dog.  Here, too, 30 per cent D2O in the plasma represents the acute danger level.  At about 25 per cent the dog appears quite normal, but closer examination shows that it is not really healthy.  Its sugar-metabolism rate is low, its blood cells show a disturbed picture, there are signs of anemia and an electrocardiogram reveals nonspecific heart damage.  All the damage appears to be reversible;  when the dog is restored to a regime of ordinary water, even the abnormalities in the electrocardiogram disappear;  after a few months no defects can be detected." Quoting from _Biological_Effects_of_Deuterium_ by J. F. Thomson (Macmillan, 1963), page 88: "Until about 15 per cent of the body water is replaced by D2O, little change can be observed [in mice and rats] except for a failure to gain weight as rapidly as controls.  At 15-20 per cent replacement, the animals become hyperexcitable and difficult to handle.  In the range of 20-25 per cent D2O, the hyperexcitability is very pronounced, the animals frequently convulsing when stimulated." HOW DOES AZT WORK? AZT is a chain terminator chemical.  When it is added to a DNA chain being made, it blocks the addition of further nucleotides to the chain.  AZT seems to be an effective AIDS drug because it has higher affinity for the HIV reverse transcriptase than the normal cellular DNA polymerase. Quoting from _Physicians’_Desk_Reference_ (1993 edition), page 822: "Zidovudine [AZT] triphosphate interferes with the HIV viral RNA dependent DNA polymerase (reverse transcriptase) and thus, inhibits viral replication.  Zidovudine triphosphate also inhibits cellular alpha-DNA polymerase, but at concentrations 100-fold higher than those required to inhibit reverse transcriptase.  _In_vitro_, zidovudine triphosphate has been shown to be incorporated into growing chains of DNA by viral reverse transcriptase. When incorporation by the viral enzyme occurs, the DNA chain is terminated.  Studies in cell culture suggest that zidovudine incorporation by cellular alpha-DNA polymerase may occur, but only to a very small extent and not in all test systems.  Chain termination has not been demonstrated with cellular alpha-DNA polymerase." WHAT IS THE MECHANISM OF HEAVY WATER TOXICITY? Heavy water (i.e. D2O) modifies the structure of water. Liquid water has a complex structure, especially in the neighborhood of solutes (i.e. molecules dissolved in water). The molecules in liquid water can attach to each other by forming "hydrogen bonds".  These are chemical bonds that are a different type (and much weaker) than the "covalent bonds" which hold the two hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom in H2O.  A hydrogen bond can form between a hydrogen atom on one molecule and an electronegative atom (like oxygen) on another molecule.  Therefore, each water molecule can form hydrogen bonds to three other water molecules.  Water molecules also form hydrogen bonds with molecules dissolved in water. For a diagram illustrating the structure of water around a molecule in solution, see "Elastic Biomolecular Machines" by Dan Urry in _Scientific_American_ (Jan. 1995), page 68. This diagram illustrates solvation shells, which are one- molecule thick, polygonal shells of water molecules which surround any molecule dissolved in water. Quoting from "Part I:  Chemical and Biological Studies with Deuterium" in _Thirty-Ninth_Annual_Priestly_Lectures_ by Joseph Katz (Pennsylvania State University, 1965), pages 6-8: "There are numerous fragments of evidence that taken together afford a strong presumption for the suggestion that D2O is more structured than is H2O.  The temperature of maximum density of D2O is 11.6oC as contrasted to 4.0oC for H2O.  These temperatures can be considered as rough measures of the extent of ice-structure present, and they appear to imply a greater persistence of the ice-structure in liquid D2O.  The viscosity of D2O is markedly greater than that of H2O, particularly at lower temperatures. The heats of vaporization (and fusion) are also consistent with the idea that D2O possesses a greater degree of intermolecular structural organization than H2O, and that more thermodynamic work must be done to transfer a molecule of D2O from the liquid to the vapor phase than is the case for H2O.  Spectral studies in the near infrared region likewise suggest a greater degree of structure in D2O. In brief, hydrogen bonding appears to play a greater role in D2O than in H2O." "In fact, both the number and the strength of hydrogen bonds are probably greater in D2O.  The replacement of hydrogen by deuterium decreases the vibrational frequencies of the -O-D bond.  The -O-H and -O-D are essentially the same length, but the frequency of vibration of the -O-D bond is decreased, and as a result the bonding vibrations are less disruptive to structure in liquid D2O (Swain, et al, 1963). Particularly important in this respect are the librations, or hindered rotations, of water.  Infrared absorption peaks attributed to librations are observed at about 667 cm-1 for H2O and 485 cm-1 for D2O.  The lower energy of libration in D2O means that D2O has less rotational kinetic energy than does H2O, and consequently these motions have a smaller disruptive effect on structure in D2O." "It also appears likely that the strength of an -O-D—O- bond is significantly greater than the corresponding -O-H—O- bond.  In terms of the flickering-cluster model of liquid water (Kavanau, 1964), heavy water appears to have a larger fraction of D2O molecules inside clusters, at any given temperature, than does ordinary water.  The fraction of unbroken hydrogen bonds in D2O is greater, and the fraction of non-hydrogen bonded molecules is also smaller.  Heavy water thus has a more ice-like character than does H2O." "The extent of structural order in liquid D2O is relatively more significant at lower temperatures.  With increasing temperature, structure and order decrease much faster in D2O than in H2O, and at moderately elevated temperatures the differences between H2O and D2O are greatly diminished." "The greater degree of structure of D2O has an immediate consequence in decreased solubilities of many salts in D2O. To the extent that water structure must be distorted to accommodate the solute, solubilities will be lower in D2O. Potassium chloride is 7% less soluble in D2O at 30oC, and barium chloride at 20oC is 12% less soluble in D2O than H2O. Many electrolytes show even greater decreases.  Both carbon dioxide and oxygen are appreciably … read more »

Response:

I tested HIV antibody positive in 1989 and have refused all standard medical treatment, including AZT. Suffice it to say, I am alive and healthy. I started misc.health.aids because I was tired of getting censored by the moderators of sci.med.aids. Imagine that, an HIV+ person getting censored from an AIDS board because he doesn’t believe that HIV causes AIDS! Since this is a work in progress please be patient if you disagree with   its content. It will change as new information is brought to the attention   of this group.   -James M. Scutero, original proponent of misc.health.aids               MISC.HEALTH.AIDS FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)   SECTION 1: ABOUT MISC.HEALTH.AIDS                             SECTION 2: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome)   SECTION 3: AIDS TREATMENTS   SECTION 4: HIV TESTING   SECTION 5: NUTRITION   SECTION 6: HERBS   SECTION 1: ABOUT MISC.HEALTH.AIDS   1.0 Q: What is misc.health.aids?       A: Misc.health.aids is the only UNMODERATED newsgroup on Usenet devoted          to AIDS.   1.1 Q: Can I post anything about AIDS on misc.health.aids?       A: Yes.   1.2 Q: Can I advertise things for sale on misc.health.aids?       A: No. If you do advertise on this newsgroup expect to get a mailbox          full of hate-email. The postmaster at your site will be notified          and your Usenet privileges might be taken away from you.   1.3 Q: If I see advertising on misc.health.aids what can I do to stop it?       A: First send the advertiser an email message stating that advertising          on misc.health.aids is forbidden by the subscribers of this              newsgroup. Then send a note to the postmaster of the advertiser’s          site.          Example:   SECTION 2: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome)   2.0 Q: What is AIDS?       A: AIDS (noun): a condition of acquired immunological deficiency            associated with infection of the cells of the immune system by a          retrovirus, occurring esp. in homosexual and bisexual men and in          intravenous drug abusers, and recognized clinically usu. by a            life-threatening infection (esp. pneumonia caused by the                microorganism Pneumocystis carinii) or Kaposi’s sarcoma or both          in addition to marked depression of the immune system          REFERENCE: Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary   2.1 Q: How does HIV cause AIDS?       A: There are many theories, but there is no consensus on how          HIV causes AIDS or if it is sufficient or even necessary to cause          AIDS.   2.2 Q: Wait a minute! Doesn’t HIV cause AIDS by killing T cells?       A: Contrary to popular belief, the decline in T4 lymphocytes found          in people labelled as having AIDS, does not occur as a result of          HIV killing these "T" cells directly according to current research.          REFERENCES:          Wain-Hobson, S. Nature 366, 22 (1993)          Phillips, A.N. et al. Nature 367, 124 (1994)          Wain-Hobson, S. Nature 373, 102 (1995)   2.3 Q: But isn’t HIV the only virus that infects immune system cells?       A: No. Human Herpes Virus number 6 (HHV-6) infects and kills T4 cells,          T8 cells, Natural Killer cells and B cells. HHV-6 variant A is also          found as a disseminated infection in immunocompromised people.          Some researchers suggest that HHV-6 may by an important co-factor          in AIDS.        REFERENCE: Lusso, P, Gallo, RC Immunology Today 16(2) 67-71 (1995)   2.4 Q: How many people have been diagnosed with AIDS in the world since          AIDS started in 1980?       A: A little over 1,000,000 according to the World Health Organization.          REFERENCE: World Health Organization Global Programme on AIDS                     The Current Global Situation of the HIV/AIDS Pandemic                     3 January 1995   2.5 Q: Does this make AIDS the "Viral Pandemic of the Century"?       A: No. An estimated twenty million people were killed in the Influenza          epidemic of 1918 worldwide, 548,000 in the U.S.          REFERENCE: The 1993 World Almanac and Book of Facts   SECTION 3: AIDS TREATMENTS   3.0 Q: Can AZT, now called zidovudine, prolong my life?       A: No. There is no evidence that AZT prolongs life.          REFERENCE: Seligmann, M. et al. Lancet 343, 871-880 (1994)   3.1 Q: But doesn’t AZT delay symptoms of AIDS?       A: No. There is no evidence that AZT delays symptoms.          REFERENCE: Seligmann, M. et al. Lancet 343, 871-880 (1994)   3.2 Q: Well at least it is a good treatment for dementia, isn’t it?       A: No. A federally funded study, which was an observational analysis        from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, found antiretroviral        treatment did not reduce the incidence of HIV dementia.          REFERENCE: Neurology  (October 1994, pages 1892-1900)   3.3 Q: Well how about ddI, ddC, d4T or 3TC?       A: Sorry, there is no clinical evidence that these drugs will prolong          your life or delay symptoms either.   3.4 Q: But what if I take AZT in combination with ddI, ddC, d4T or 3TC?       A: Even if you take it in combination with an egg roll it has not been          proven to prolong your life or delay symptoms.   3.5 Q: How about protease inhibitors?       A: Nope. Despite all of the hoopla, these drugs have not been shown          to prolong life or delay symptoms.   3.6 Q: How about Interleukin-2 (IL-2)?       A: No. The following is a commentary on a study done on IL-2 conducted          by Joseph Kovacs, M.D. and H. Clifford Lane, M.D., at the Laboratory          of Immunoregulation (part of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy          and Infectious Diseases NIAID).              "The original IL-2 dose for these studies was 18 million IU per          day, but the majority of patients required dose reductions to either          twelve or six million IU, primarily because of the debilitating side-          effects that historically have accompanied high-dose IL-2          therapy.these include fever, severe flu-like symptoms, capillary          leakage, lung congestion and swelling, liver, kidney and gall bladder          disorders, neutropenia (low neutrophils, a type of white blood          cell), thrombocytopenia (low platelets), glucose intolerance and          irratating dermatologic problems such as psoriasis flare-ups.                Some participants have dropped out of the NIAID trials due to          the severity of the symptoms…IL-2-induced CD4 increases ultimately          will need to be correlated with explicit improvements in immune          function for the therapy to proceed into large, expensive efficacy          phase III trials. Improvements in immune function will then need          correlation with clear health and survival benefits in order for IL-2          to be validated and approved as a treatment for HIV infection."          REFERENCE: GMHC Treatment Issues vol. 9, num 2 page 7-11   3.7 Q: But don’t all these drugs raise my T cells?       A: Yes to varying degrees but this effect is a transient one. People          who undergo drug therapy will often have a temporary rise in T cells,          but this does not mean that they live longer or stay well longer.   3.8 Q: So does this mean I will die from AIDS if I test HIV+ because these          drugs don’t work?       A: There are many people who do not take these drugs and are still          alive and healthy after many years. Don’t believe the hype. Testing          HIV+ is not a death sentence despite what your friends, doctors,          and the media tells you.   SECTION 4: HIV Testing   4.0 Q: Has there ever been a large, general population study comparing          the results of HIV antibody tests with either PCR results or viral          cultures?       A: (Does anybody have an answer to this?)   SECTION 5: NUTRITION   5.0 Q: Are there any studies on HIV and nutrition?       A: Yes, there are many. Here is one abstract.   AU  - Dwyer JT   TI  - Nutrition support of HIV+ patients.   AD  - Frances Stern Nutrition Center, New England Medical Center         Hospital, Boston, MA 02111.   AB  - Case management strategies for the nutritional support of patients         infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are evolving as         the disease becomes less rapidly fatal and more chronic. Nutritional         status changes in advanced HIV infection are similar in many respects         to protein-calorie malnutrition. Current clinical effort and research         focuses on the beneficial effects of preserving lean body mass and         keeping asymptomatic patients in good nutritional status by preventing         micronutrient deficiencies and by treating preexisting nutritional         problems rather than attempting to intervene late in the disease’s         course, after secondary malnutrition has already developed. Nutrition         support and intervention trials only late in the disease process have         not been promising in reversing weight loss once it has occurred.         Special diets, such as lactose- or gluten-free diets, may be helpful         in some cases as asymptomatic treatment of some opportunistic  

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