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From: ST501020%BROWNVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Bill Jesdale)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: (2392) AIDS
Message-ID: <38305@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 21 Aug 90 19:09:07 GMT
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Approved: ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org (David Dodell)
Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
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Archive-number: 2404

HIV infection into a sterile room, feeding her or him sterile
food, etc were taken, It is unlikely that s/he would live as
long as a person not infected with HIV (and whatever necessary
cofactors there are).
 Not only is it virtually impossible to guard against infections
even in the most sanitary conditions, but most people already
have a certain number of infections floating around in their
bodies. Candida Albicans is extremely prevalent, but is usually
kept in check so that it is not noticeable. If a person survived
long enough, and her/his immune system were sufficiently impared,
one might well see deadly infections from agents previously thought
to be harmless. I wonder if the agent which causes plaque or the
'helpful' bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract, nearly universal
infections, would cause fatality in a person sufficiently debilitated.
 HIV also attacks sites other than the CD4 lymphocytes which are so
important for maintaining an effective immune response.
 HIV infects brain cells (I believe glial cells), and thus causes
progressive degeneration of the brain. Of course, if a drug, or
treatment were found which halted this activity of HIV, then I
suppose the hypothetical exercise of keeping a person locked into
isolation might gain some more relevancy. I am not sure, but I
assume that if the brain cells were sufficiently thouroughly
infected, death would be the eventual outcome.
 HIV has cuased severe damage through infecting heart tissue.
 HIV infects many other organs. Whether or not it does sufficient
damage to them to induce death I cannot tell you.
 HIV infected people often have a condition called splenomegaly
(Enlargement of the spleen). Whether this is caused by direct
infection by HIV, or as a side effect of fighting off other
infections, I do not know.

 In conclusion, then, while sterile isolation of a person living
with HIV infection is utterly inexcusable as a humane exercise,
as an intellectual exercise, it does serve to illuminate the
difference between debilitation due directly to HIV, and effects
due to infections caused by a lagging immune system.