A.i.d.s. Virus Changes As Disease Progresses (Press, 13 April 1988)

A study conducted at the University of California in San Francisco, led by Dr Jay Levy, reveals that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, appears to become more virulent as patients' health declines. Over a four-year period, Dr Levy and his team isolated the virus from four patients, observing its evolution concurrent with the progression of the disease. Dr Levy noted in an interview that the HIV virus doesn't remain static; instead, it undergoes changes in its biological characteristics. While it may visually resemble the original strain, the virus is likely undergoing internal evolution within infected individuals. The study initially involved subjects who were identified as being associated with AIDS but had not yet shown symptoms of the disease. As the research continued, three out of the four subjects eventually developed AIDS, with two of these individuals succumbing to the disease. The remaining patient has not exhibited any symptoms of AIDS. The analysis indicated that the HIV viruses obtained from the blood of the three symptomatic patients exhibited increasing virulence as their clinical symptoms progressed. The virulence was quantified through laboratory tests that involved exposing the isolated virus to host cells. Dr Levy highlighted that the most severe symptoms in the patients corresponded with a heightened ability of the HIV to replicate, which allowed it to invade and infect a broader range of host cells. In contrast, the virus isolated from the patient who remained asymptomatic displayed no such escalation in virulence. The findings suggest that the increasing virulence of HIV correlates with the virus's ability to replicate. Therefore, Dr Levy emphasised the potential for researchers to develop strategies aimed at inhibiting viral replication. If successful, such approaches could effectively render the virus harmless while allowing it to persist within the patient's body. This study underscores the complex relationship between the progression of AIDS in patients and the evolving nature of the virus itself.

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