Il-2

[Guest guest]

" Umm, JB..I am not sure that I would be that set in opinions about

IL-2. Dr low dose protocol seems to be working with a lot of

people with minimum side effects and T cell increases of around 20 a

month. "

Well, I remain skeptical about the stuff. Back in Geneva,

described a " trend to......... " in another presentation. " A trend to "

means you did not demonstrate statistical significance, so, he didn't

demonstrate what he set out to prove. How long has he been staking his

career on IL-2? 15 years? 20? And all he has to show is a

non-statistical " trend to? " People threw blood on Margaret Fischl for

less.

When I did Il-2, twelve years ago, I did a low dose, and had no

problems at all, and an increase in T cells.

At the AACTG meeting last Summer, the head of the Immunology division

prefaced a talk with the statement " imagine that IL-2 DID show clinical

benefits....... "

I am hardly alone in viewing IL-2 with reservations, though I remain

open to the possibility that someday, benefit, and not just increases

in numbers, will be shown.

There is no dispute that you can get better numbers with Il-2, but

there is also no dispute that at this point in time, clear clinical

benefits have been evasive.

As of today, I think that other immune modulators are far more

promising than Il-2

JB

[Guest guest]

Not one single person was ever "exposed to serial monotherapy in the eighties". While AZT was approved in March 1987, the next drug in your serial story, Videx aka ddI, was not approved October 9, 1991. The first protease inhibitor, Invirase, was not approved until December 6, 1995.

As you know, I began using interleukin-2 in March 1993.

1.) My HIV virus has never developed resistance to any HIV drug I have taken after that date.

2.) However, my virus did develop resistance to every HIV drug I took prior to that date.

Your immune system is more clever than any drug combination. Restore it with interleukin-2 and your immune system does the heavy lifting so you can get off the drug resistance carousel.

I have noticed that even people with HIV associated wasting have experienced significant reversal of their wasting as interleukin-2 restores their immune system. My partner has experienced this himself as he has used interleukin-2 over the past three years. He's also happier with his T4 count at 1,040 rather than 235.

> > > Its too bad Matt Sharp never chose to use Interleukin-2.> >> > Barrow> pozbod@...>

[Guest guest]

One of the advantages of having a severely weakened immune system is that you experience minimal side-effects from vaccinations.

Unfortunately, this is accompanied by the problem that the immune response to the vaccine may not be sufficient to provide protection to the pathogen you are being vaccinated against.

>> "All people with HIV should receive a Pneumovax vaccination, in spite of> the significant fatigue and flu-like symptoms I experienced. I have> never previously experienced that sort of fatigue from anything -- other> than pneumonia, and I'd have to say that's far worse."> > This is a standard recommendation, and reminders are a great idea.> > I've never experienced any degree of fatigue from mine.> > Barrow> pozbod@...>

[Guest guest]

One of the advantages of having a severely weakened immune system is that you experience minimal side-effects from vaccinations.

Unfortunately, this is accompanied by the problem that the immune response to the vaccine may not be sufficient to provide protection to the pathogen you are being vaccinated against.

>> "All people with HIV should receive a Pneumovax vaccination, in spite of> the significant fatigue and flu-like symptoms I experienced. I have> never previously experienced that sort of fatigue from anything -- other> than pneumonia, and I'd have to say that's far worse."> > This is a standard recommendation, and reminders are a great idea.> > I've never experienced any degree of fatigue from mine.> > Barrow> pozbod@...>

[Guest guest]

One of the advantages of having a severely weakened immune system is that you experience minimal side-effects from vaccinations.

Unfortunately, this is accompanied by the problem that the immune response to the vaccine may not be sufficient to provide protection to the pathogen you are being vaccinated against.

>> "All people with HIV should receive a Pneumovax vaccination, in spite of> the significant fatigue and flu-like symptoms I experienced. I have> never previously experienced that sort of fatigue from anything -- other> than pneumonia, and I'd have to say that's far worse."> > This is a standard recommendation, and reminders are a great idea.> > I've never experienced any degree of fatigue from mine.> > Barrow> pozbod@...>