Herpes Drugs Prevent HIV Worsening

Aciclovir drugs commonly used in the treatment of herpes disease proved to be effective to slow the worsening of HIV infection in people infected with the two diseases. A study of 3300 patients in Africa exhibit, herpes drug slows the progression of the disease by 16 percent.

 

A number of researchers from the University of Washington in particular do research on people infected with HIV-1, the most common type of infection experienced. People infected with HIV-1 are also commonly infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 or genital herpes.

Several studies have demonstrated, allowing the herpes virus causes suppression of HIV levels, but it is not known how this can slow the disease.

In this latest study 3300 respondents were randomly assigned to two doses of aciclovir or placebo pills every day. Then their health monitored for two years. At the end of the study, 284 respondents who received acicolovir drugs and HIV, CD4 levels drop dramatically, which means his condition worsened, compared with 324 respondents who received placebo pills. CD4 count reflects the health of the immune system.

The experts emphasized that the treatment of HIV-infected patients with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) may have a greater impact on reducing disease exacerbations. However, herpes treatment may provide additional benefits, especially for people who do not achieve success with antiretroviral therapy.

"There needs to be further evidence of herpes viral suppression is only effective in patients who do not qualify the success of antiretroviral therapy," said Dr Jairam Lingappa.

Gus Cairns, editor of HIV Treatment Update journal, said there is a biological reason that it must be proven that herpes drugs will make them more resistant to the HIV virus. "What is encouraging is that the drug aciclovir cheap, nontoxic, and easily available everywhere. Thus, HIV-infected patients had the opportunity to get cheap drugs," he said.