Re: Malaria and HIV viral load

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

'This is in response to Dr. Aparna Shrotri's comments on Lancet article that

reported Malaria worsens the HIV status'.

Overall there is sufficient data that any immune activation as in an infectious

process, causes more CD4 cells to be activated thus transiently increasing the

viral load and decreasing the CD4 cells. That is the reason that in certain

situations as in intravenous drug users who have repeated bacterial skin and

soft tissue infections, there may be faster progression to AIDS.

Fehmida Visnegarwala, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

One Baylor Plaza,

BCM 465EC

Houston, Texas-77030

Phone # 713-798-3942

Fax# 713-798-5134

Pager # 281-952-1575

e-MAIL: <fehmidav@...>