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The conversion of HIV Sero-positive to sero-negative following VANHIVAX
By V. Anomah NGU, Bisong Henry Besong-Egbe, F. Ambe, J. A. NGU & C. CaspaAbstract
We report below 13 patients whose HIV serology converted from positive to negative following treatment with VANHIVAX alone. The scientific basis of VANHIVAX and its use for treating HIV/AIDS patients had previously been reported. The serological status of these patients before and after treatment had been determined mostly by Centre Pasteur of Cameroon using the Elisa technique. Three of the patients had their serology confirmed in a different laboratory on different dates. The above cases represent the tip of the iceberg. The patients reported here had high or normal CD4+ and low viral counts (except 2) and generally had normal immune status. HIV patients who present early in the disease with normal immune status can hope to have their serology changed to negative also, emphasizing the importance of early HIV testing. These results moreover show that VANHIVAX is indeed an effective form of treatment for HIV.
INTRODUCTION
The official or standard treatment for HIV/AIDS is anti-retroviral drugs. For many years we have used an auto-vaccine, VANHIVAX as a therapeutic vaccine in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained. The nature, the scientific basis and the use of VANHJIVAX in HIV/AIDS have previously been reported (1, 2, and 3). The conversion of the serology from HIV positive to HIV negative is quite unusual in HIV/AIDS patients and is considered even more unusual when 13 patients are concerned. We report them as proof that VANHIVAX is indeed an effective form of treatment. This report should also encourage the early testing for HIV so that patients are seen and treated when they are still immune competent
Method
Patients included in the present report were picked up when some patients with viral counts below 50 copies/ml had their serology determined. The dates on which this was done were determined by the patients themselves when they finally chose to return to us. These cases were among the many others whose clinical status improved with VANHIVAX but remained sero-positive.This relatively small number of patients, rigorously selected and controlled over the years, represents the tip of the iceberg because the taboo against HIV is so great that once patients are well, they often do not want to be associated with our clinic anymore. Several of our alleged sero- negative patients were excluded because we could not control them ourselves.
Results
See annex for table of sero-conversion. View Table
Discussion and Comments
. The sero-conversion recorded here means that antibodies of the type that are normally detected in HIV patients have not reformed in these treated patients. They can therefore be considered 'cured' of their original HIV infection and immune to the strains of viruses that previously infected them. Methods for detecting the new immune responses induced by VANHIVAX remain to be worked out but they probably include estimated of activated lymphocytes.A closer look at these interesting results shows that all patients were HIV sero-positive at the start of treatment but became sero-negative at various periods following treatment with VANHIVAX. At the start of treatment they all had (with 2 exceptions) relatively low viral counts and high CD4+ counts. Case no. 11 had a viral count of 17.300 and a CD4+ of 350 and case no. 12 with a viral count of 207.743 also had a CD4+ count of 846, well above the lower limit of normal. (Normal CD4+ counts vary between 500 - 1600). The immunological status of these 2 patients was however good.
Although the HIV has an inherent potential for causing immune deficiency, at the start of an infection, the immune status is probable still good. As shown by their viral counts or their CD4+ counts the patients reported above therefore presented for treatment with VANHIVAX with competent immune systems. The relatively small numbers recorded here is probably due to the stigma of HIV but is mostly a reflection of the fact that most patients are afraid to determine their serological status and come to the clinic only when they fall ill with opportunistic infections or as a last resort when traditional and other forms of treatment have failed. They then generally exhibit quite evident immune deficiencies.
Thanks to the fact that the above patients presented for VANHIVAX treatment early in their infection they became sero-negative and are considered 'cured' of their disease. This report should therefore encourage new or potential patients to test their HIV serology early so that they can also benefit from treatment with VANHIVAX.
From this report, VANHIVAX has shown itself to be an effective form of immunotherapy for HIV provided the immune system of patients is competent. It is, at present, the only form of treatment that achieves sero-conversion in HIV. Our present concern, therefore, is to raise the immune competence of AIDS patients to levels comparable to those seen in early HIV infections so that VANHIVAX can achieve for them results similar to those reported above.
Finally, a vaccine prepared on the same basis as VANHIVAX from viruses grown in a region can be an effective preventive HIV vaccine for that region. A vaccine that cures can surely also prevent.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are most grateful to all our technical and nursing staff for their valuable contributions. Deo Omnis Gloria.
REFERENCES
1). NGU V. A.The viral envelope in the evolution of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): A hypothetical approach to inducing an effective immune response to the virus.
Medical Hypotheses 48, 517 - 521 (1997)
2). NGU V. A. & Ambe F.
Effective vaccines against and immunotherapy of HIV: A preliminary report.
Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences. 1, 1, 2 - 9 (2001)
3). NGU V. A., Ambe F., & Boma G.
Significant reduction of HIV loads in the sera of patients treated with VANHIVAX.
Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences 2, 1, 7 - 10, (2002)
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VANHIVAX, HIV/AIDS: A Summary Update Before setting out against an enemy as formidable as the HIV, it is prudent and even very important to understand thoroughly the enemy; (1)to know as much as possible about the structure and any significant or unusual elements of the structure of the virus, (2) to interpret correctly the role played by such elements, (3) if possible the evolution of the virus and (4) to fully understand the biological consequences or effects of the presence of the virus in the body because a virus that persists must have some effects on the body.
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