OT HIV and blood brain barrier

September 27, 2008

According to this article HIV crosses the blood brain barrier

causing dementia

http://aidscience.org/neuroaids/articles/Neuro1(2).asp

This bodes the question what caused dementia first - a virus that has never

been isolated or AZT which crosses the blood brain barrier

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11435

Here is the answer:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/azt.aspx

Can AZT and Other " Antiretrovirals " Cause AIDS?

The truth is that AZT, ddI, ddC , protease inhibitors and other drugs termed

" antiretrovirals " have not been found in any controlled studies to show

proven clinical benefits for HIV/AIDS patients. The only studies published

that claim positive outcome were short-term and did not have statistically

significant results.(1)

Even more alarming, there is plenty of evidence that these drugs have been

found to cause the very symptoms they are meant to cure. Over 500 M.D.s'

and/or Ph.D.'s have signed a statement calling for a reappraisal of the

causes of AIDS, and questioning whether the symptoms are being caused by

HIV. For more info go to

Although the newer " antiretrovirals " like ddC, ddI, and d4T, have analogous

mechanisms of action and similar toxicities to AZT, they have not been

studied as extensively and therefore are not discussed in as much detail in

the studies outlined below.

1) Glaxo Wellcome puts the following warning in large, bold-faced, capital

letters at the start of the section in the 1998 Physician's Desk Reference

that describes AZT (brand name Retrovir or Zidovudine).

" RETROVIR (ZIDOVUDINE) MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH SEVERE HEMATOLOGIC TOXICITY

INCLUDING GRANULOCYTOPENIA AND SEVERE ANEMIA PARTICULARLY IN PATIENTS WITH

ADVANCED HIV DISEASE (SEE WARNINGS). PROLONGED USE OF RETROVIR HAS ALSO BEEN

ASSOCIATED WITH WITH SYMPTOMATIC MYOPATHY SIMILAR TO THAT PRODUCED BY HUMAN

IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS. "

Please allow me to translate. " Granulocytopenia " , also called " neutropenia "

means that the primary cells of the immune system, neutrophils, have been

depleted, along with some other cells, eosinophils and basophils, which are

less numerous but still important.

This condition can be mild, moderate, or severe. The clinical course of

severe neutropenia, as described in the basic pathology textbook, Pathologic

Basis of Disease by Robbins (5th Ed.), which is used in most medical schools

to study pathology, describes what happens to people with severe

neutropenia.

CLINICAL COURSE: The symptoms and signs of neutropenias are those of

bacterial infections. ... In severe agranulocytosis with virtual absence of

neutrophils, these infections may become so overwhelming as to cause death

within a few days. " (Robbins, p.631).

This sounds disturbingly similar to a description of AIDS. Robbins also

states, in italics, that " the most severe forms of neutropenias are produced

by drugs. " What is not mentioned in any textbook is that AZT has been found

in five studies performed after its rushed FDA approval to be equally toxic

to T-cells, the very cells whose absence is blamed on HIV.(2) This is not

surprising since T-cells are produced in the bone marrow, and all the other

cells produced there are depleted by AZT. AZT may cause an initial increase

in T-cells as the body's immune system responds to the toxic stress being

placed on it by AZT, but in relatively short time the T-cells, neutrophils,

and other immune system cells begin to decline.

2) An example of a study that documented the effects of AZT on people's

immune systems was published in the ls of Hematology. (3)

AZT was given to 14 health care workers who were exposed to HIV contaminated

blood through needle sticks and similar accidents. This type of study is

important because the toxicity observed cannot be blamed on HIV, as is quite

likely to happen in HIV positive people. Fully half of the 14 workers had to

quit the drug because of severe toxic side effects, and the study was

stopped early before more damage was done. Neutropenia (as described above)

developed in 36% (4 of 11) of the people who completed at least 4 weeks of

AZT treatment.

3 of the 14 people could not even make it to four weeks due to " severe

subjective symptoms " . One worker had to be stopped prematurely because his

neutropenia was so severe that he developed an upper respiratory tract

infection.

What is truly remarkable in this study is that these side effects developed

in only 4 weeks, while patients with " HIV positive " status often take AZT

and other similar drugs for years. The dosage of AZT included in current

protease inhibitor " cocktails " is much lower, which may be one reason why

these fare better when compared with treatment that uses AZT by itself.

3) An article in the New England Journal of Medicine (4) looked at the

muscle wasting caused by AZT and compared it to muscle wasting, called

" myopathy " , presumed to be caused by HIV. Their comments in the abstract are

revealing: " We conclude that long-term therapy with Zidovudine can cause a

toxic mitochondrial myopathy, which... is indistinguishable from the

myopathy associated with primary HIV infection... " .

Robbin's text on pathology also contains sections on mitochondrial myopathy,

stating that this kind of muscle wasting results in severe weakness. It also

states that " this group may also be classified as mitochondrial

encephalomyopathies. " Encephalomyopathy, in lay language, means widespread

damage to the brain and spinal cord.

4) " HIV Dementia " : Although most retrospective studies have not found AZT to

be associated with " HIV dementia " , these studies were uncontrolled and thus

open to all sorts of confounding variables and biases. One of the better

controlled studies did find that " HIV dementia " was twice as likely to

happen in people taking AZT. In this study, published in the journal

Neurology (5), the authors state:

" among subjects with CD4+ cell counts < 200/mm3, the risk of developing HIV

dementia among those reporting any antiretroviral use (AZT, ddI, ddC, or

d4T) was 97% higher than among those not using this antiretroviral therapy "

They also discuss sensory neuropathy, or degeneration of sensory nerves

stating:

" In addition, the findings of our analysis seem to confirm previous

observation of a neurotoxic effect of antiretroviral agents. Numerous

studies have linked the use of ddI, ddC, and d4T to the development of toxic

sensory neuropathies, usually in a dose-response fashion. "

These studies are but a sample of the evidence that suggest that AZT and

other " antiretrovirals " used as monotherapy or as parts of protease

inhibitor cocktail regimens are causing a variety of AIDS-like symptoms

which are being blamed on HIV. Unfortunately, the beliefs about HIV are so

strong that many of the author's of the studies come out supporting the use

of the drugs.

A notable exception is the study in Pharmacology and Therapeutics, which

provides a thorough and devastating critique (2).

Another fact that raises serious questions about the possibility of HIV

causing disease is the fact that even after some $45 billion dollars of

research funds, scientists cannot figure out how it supposedly destroys

T-cells. This is because it does not destroy T-cells in test tubes and has

never been shown to destroy them in humans, either.

At a conference in 1997, as reported in the journal, Science, this fact was

made very clear as the theories espoused by Ho et al. were revelaed to

have serious flaws. As stated in the Science article " Yet the central;

mystery of AIDS remains unresolved: How does the virus cause the severe loss

of T-cells... which is the hallmark of the disease? "

An immunologist from Harvard Medical School, as quoted in the same article,

summed up the problem as follows: " We are still very confused about the

mechanisms that lead to T-cell depletion, but at least now we are confused

at a higher level of understanding " (6). A simpler explanation of these

problems, especially after $45 billion, is that HIV does not affect T-cells,

at all.

A LIKELY EXPLANATION FOR THE " COURSE " OF AIDS

Based partly on this evidence, a compelling argument can be made that much

of what we call AIDS is a self-fulfilling prophecy which might happen as

follows:

a) The severe, acute psychological stress of being diagnosed " HIV Positive "

is quickly transformed into a severe, chronic psychological stress of living

with a prediction of a horrifying decline that could start at any time. This

causes a dangerous suppression of the immune system.

This immunosuppressive effect of chronic psychological stress is well

documented in scientific studies and also is a common part of most people's

personal experience (7). In addition, people are more likely to be tested

for HIV when there is already some health problem present, so that the

psychological stress adds to significant stress due to the illness already

present.

These illnesses are often severe and chronic in nature. It is not necessary,

however, for prior illness to be present. These factors have been studied in

healthy people where they create the very same immunosuppression and immune

dysregulation that may later be called " AIDS " . Once tested, people are

often put on long-term and high doses of the most potent broad-spectrum

antibiotics, if not antiretrovirals also, as a preventative measure and/or

treatment for illnesses.

These antibiotics often have debilitating side effects which are easily

blamed on HIV, including immune suppression. Perhaps more significantly,

they lead to a complete disruption of our normal microbial flora. The

healthy balance of flora in our gastrointestinal tract and elsewhere is one

of our most important protectors against infection (8).

On top of all this, these antibiotics also often lead to the development of

multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. c) Once the

immune system starts to crack under the strain of the emotional stress,

previous health problems (if there were any), and disrupted natural

defenses, the diagnosis of AIDS is made.

Then the person is started on the " antiretrovirals " , if not already on them,

whose toxic effects are described above. More and more people are being

placed on these drugs when they are still healthy and have not been

diagnosed with " AIDS " . d) The new " cocktails " are to be given until the

patient dies, with no exceptions, if possible. This is because of the theory

that mutant, drug resistant, HIV will flourish if they go off of their

treatment.

Patients who abandon " antiretroviral " treatment would then, theoretically,

be a public health threat because they might infect others with their

" mutated HIV " . Thus, aside from considering their own health, the patient

has a larger social responsibility to stay on the " cocktail " .

No matter how debilitating the " side effects " , it is heavily stressed that

the patient must not miss a single dose. When the patient's health begins to

fail, the failure is blamed on the effects of this " mutated HIV " , possibly

due to the patients " poor compliance. " Rarely are the drug toxicities and

complications caused by the treatment held responsible.

Some people seem to respond well (at least temporarily) to these

" antiretroviral " regimens. The reasons for this are unclear, but may be

related to:

1) Direct actions of the drugs on many possible pathogens including,

possibly, HIV.

2) Toxic substances have been observed to stimulate the release of T cells

from the bone marrow, before eventually exhausting the supply and causing

immune cell depletion and anemia. The initial rise in CD4 counts seen in

this case is interpreted as improved immune function.

3) Relief of the severe psychological stress due to the powerful belief that

these drugs are " life-saving " . This is often reinforced by rising CD4 counts

and falling " viral load " , which are doubtful and non-specific markers of

actual health.

Scientific studies attempting to document positive effects of protease

inhibitor (PI) " cocktails " are of questionable value. Every one has been

stopped early when the " home team " is ahead. This skews any attempt at

finding benefit in the same way that continually stopping sporting events as

soon as the home team is ahead would. Even worse, all of the studies of

protease inhibitor combination therapy have been stopped before statistical

significance is even reached.(1)

In addition, the control groups' " placebos " were 2 antiretroviral drugs with

no protease inhibitor. If the " antiretrovirals " are part of the problem then

these so-called " placebo controlled " trials will not reveal it. Stopping the

trials early was also the case with AZT monotherapy, until the Concorde

study finally went to completion and found greater deaths and " adverse

events " in the group that got AZT as a preventative measure.

The other group, in which people were only given AZT after being diagnosed

with an AIDS-defining condition, had about 25% fewer deaths. Of the 172

Concorde participants who died all but 3 were on AZT at some point. (For

more discussion of the Concorde see appendix (1)(9)(10)

The idea that mutated strains of HIV are capable of causing health problems

has been completely disproven by the work of Rasnick, who published

his results in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. (11). Thus, the decline

seen in most patients is NOT due to " mutated HIV " . A much more simple answer

is that the combined effects described above finally take over completely,

and often irrevocably.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----

References:

1) Lancet; 1998: Volume 352; Supplement 5.

2) These studies of T-cell damage are part of a comprehensive discussion of

the extreme toxicity of these drugs. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 1992;

Volume 55: 201-277.

3) ls of Hematology 1994; Volume 69: 135-138.

4) New England Journal of Medicine. 1990; 322(16) : 1098-1105.

5) Neurology. 1994;Volume 44: 1892 -1900.

6) Science. November 21, 1997; 278: 1399-1400.

7) Ader R, Felten DL & Cohen N. Psychoneuroimmunology. Second Edition. San

Diego: Academic Press, 1991

8) Kolliadin V., DESTRUCTION OF NORMAL RESIDENT MICROFLORA AS THE MAIN CAUSE

OF AIDS, Aug. 1996 http://www.virusmyth.com/aids/data/vkmicro.htm

9) New England Journal of Medicine 1992; 326: 437-443

September 27, 2008