| Abstract: | In Uganda, medical researchers at Makerere University in Kampala compared data on 280 HIV-seropositive people with HIV infection symptoms and CD4 lymphocyte counts less than 300, who took 150 IU/day oral interferon alpha, with 280 matched controls who took a placebo to learn whether low-dose oral interferon alpha benefits symptomatic HIV-infected patients. The study lasted 5 months. Mortality, progression of HIV infection, ability to care for oneself, symptoms, body weight, and CD4 lymphocyte counts were similar in both case and control groups. No one reverted to HIV seronegative. The findings of a smaller study in 1990 conducted by the Kenyan Medical Research Institute showed that low doses of oral interferon alpha began to alleviate AIDS symptoms within days after beginning treatment and completely alleviated symptoms in all patients within 8-10 weeks. The study reported that 18 patients reverted to HIV seronegativity. It did not have a control group. THe study lasted at least 10 weeks and consisted of 199 symptomatic and 5 asymptomatic patients. Based on the findings of the Uganda study, the World Health Organization has decided that low-dose oral interferon alpha does not help HIV-seropositive individuals and cannot rid the body of HIV. |
