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The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: An Update
- ANTHONY S. FAUCI, M.D.;
- HENRY MASUR, M.D.;
- EDWARD P. GELMANN, M.D.;
- PHILLIP D. MARKHAM, Ph.D.;
- BEATRICE H. HAHN, M.D.; and
- H. CLIFFORD LANE, M.D.
Abstract
The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome continues to be a major public health problem in the United States, and recently its spread worldwide has accelerated. The syndrome is caused by a human retrovirus transmitted by sexual contact and via blood or blood products. The virus has been isolated, characterized, and cloned, and in addition to its presence in blood, it has been found in body tissues and fluids including brain, semen, and saliva. Although the syndrome in the United States is still largely confined to male homosexuals and intravenous drug users, there is increasing evidence, particularly from Zaire, that the virus can be spread by heterosexual contact. Attempts at immune reconstitution with lymphocytes and lymphokines have resulted in some transient improvement in immune function but without clinical effect, indicating the need for specific antiretroviral therapy in combination with immune reconstitution.
Article and Author Information
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▸An edited summary of a Conference of the Combined Clinical Staffs held on 26 November 1984 at the Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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▸Authors who wish to cite a section of the conference and specifically indicate its author can use this example for the form of reference:
MARKHAM PD. Biologic properties and isolation of HTLV-III, pp 805-7. In: FAUCI AS, moderator. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: an update. Ann Intern Med. 1985;102:800-13.
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.; National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 11B-13; Bethesda, MD 20205.
