Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ucla-cs!uflorida!novavax!rwright@gatech.edu
From: uflorida!novavax!rwright@gatech.edu (Ronald K. Wright)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: AIDS
Message-ID: <38491@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 29 Aug 90 09:54:37 GMT
References: <38186@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Organization: Nova University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Lines: 28
Approved: ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org (David Dodell)
Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
Note:	non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-number: 2435

Drew.Hamilton@f213.n221.z1.fidonet.org (Drew Hamilton) writes:

>This is probably a dumb question, but i know hardly anything about AIDS so any 
>info woulkd be helpful.  Since AIDS people die of infections, not of AIDS 
>itself, 
Actually, this is not entirely true, although seemingly everyone
believes it.  We are seeing an increasing number of deaths from HIV
encephal(itis|opathy) and that is due directly to the virus.

>would it be possible for an AIDS person to live as long as a non-aids 
>person if he was locked up in a sterile room and was fed sterile food, etc?  

Nice plan but...
The lymphomas, tumours of the B cell lymphocytes, are also becoming
increasingly prevelant, probably because of the lack of infections
killing people sooner.  Also, although Kaposis Sarcoma of the skin
seems less prevelant of late, Kaposis Sarcoma of lung and lypmh node
is more common and will also kill eventually.

The bottom line is that with improved care we see less deaths directly
attributable to infections and more from the disease or from tumours
which are caused by the disease.

-- 
R. K. Wright MD JD                     | office: uunet!medex2!medexam!rkw
Chief Medical Examiner, Broward County | nova:   novavax!rwright
Associate Professor Pathology          | home:   uunet!medex2!love1!rkw
University of Miami School of Medicine | fax:    305 765 5193