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GKAbyss

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Questions about HIV

If someone has HIV, will it be possible to prevent AIDS by doing a(multiple) complete blood transfusion(s)? I'm suspecting that the HIVs multiply when they destroy WBCs and the numbers increase over time. I learned that the HIVs   are located throughout the body, not only in the blood, so a complete blood transfusion will not remove all of them. I'm also suspecting that the cause of AIDS is having HIVs to the point that WBCs cannot multiply quickly enough to build up a significant immune defense. My main question, supposing that these are true, is whether or not full blood transfusions can be a suitable treatment to prevent early death in HIV patients.

I'm wondering whether one can have frequent and safe enough full blood transfusions to lower the number of HIVs to the point that one will not develop AIDS during their lifetime. I understand that full blood tranfusions are very dangerous, and will likely be infrequent. My concern is whether or not HIVs in other parts of the body also increase as do the ones in the blood, and if they are plentiful enough, and quick moving(if they actually move in this manner) enough to re-inhabit the blood and again kill WBCs. I also do not know if HIVs in other parts of the body will kill WBCs located there. I am pretty sure that WBCs travel through the lymph system, do HIVs do this? and will they kill the WBCs in these areas? how common is this and is it something to consider?
I likely am not considering many important factors, and I do not know much about how any of this really works, if anyone can, can you explain all these(and more?) factors and tell me whether full blood transfusions could be a treatment to prevent AIDS?

krubby

Member

Joined: 2015-06-23

Posts: 1,190

Re: Questions about HIV

Sorry but I ain't in the mood to type a whole explanation, but basically the HIV would stay in your body in the non-blood parts after the transfusion. Then, any new blood would just get infected by the organs, and fluids that are still affected by it.

GKAbyss

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

Sorry but I ain't in the mood to type a whole explanation, but basically the HIV would stay in your body in the non-blood parts after the transfusion. Then, any new blood would just get infected by the organs, and fluids that are still affected by it.

Would it be possible to have frequent enough full blood tranfusions to prevent the onset of AIDS?
I don't know if you mean full blood tranfusions have no effect, because I have not heard anyone specifically say that.

Last edited by GKAbyss (Jan 9 2013 2:27:59 pm)

krubby

Member

Joined: 2015-06-23

Posts: 1,190

Re: Questions about HIV

Sorry but I ain't in the mood to type a whole explanation, but basically the HIV would stay in your body in the non-blood parts after the transfusion. Then, any new blood would just get infected by the organs, and fluids that are still affected by it.

Would it be possible to have frequent enough full blood tranfusions to prevent the onset of AIDS?

Theoretically, however it would be dangerous to have it done so often and probably really expensive too. Even then, infected organs would still take damage, although the effects would be greatly diminished.

GKAbyss

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

Sorry but I ain't in the mood to type a whole explanation, but basically the HIV would stay in your body in the non-blood parts after the transfusion. Then, any new blood would just get infected by the organs, and fluids that are still affected by it.

Would it be possible to have frequent enough full blood tranfusions to prevent the onset of AIDS?

Theoretically, however it would be dangerous to have it done so often and probably really expensive too. Even then, infected organs would still take damage, although the effects would be greatly diminished.

OK, I hadn't considered that the organs would take damage from the lack of WBCs(if that is what you're saying). I wish there was a simpler way of preventing AIDS, but I guess if there was, it would have been found already :/ (unless the technology is developed in the future)

Last edited by GKAbyss (Jan 9 2013 2:29:59 pm)

Zoey2070

Moderation Team

From: Shakuras

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 5,511

Re: Questions about HIV

I did a project on HIV/AIDs a few months ago, and I never thought about blood transfusion, but antiretroviral drugs do a pretty good job of slowing HIV from developing into AIDS (which says a lot since it takes about ten years anyway).

I think that the scenario you have described has probably already been thought of, and it probably wouldn't work as a 'cure' or be a viable means of preventing HIV from developing into AIDS, due to the amount of blood it would require.

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treejoe4

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

The only current way of being cured of HIV is through a bone marrow transplant, if you don't believe me go look it up. A few people have been cured so far. I don't know the science behind how it cures HIV, but bone marrow produces blood cells.

A virus cannot be destroyed through blood transfusion because viruses live in the host's cells.

I'm guessing no one has actually heard of HIV being cured, probably because drugs make money.

Last edited by treejoe4 (Jan 9 2013 3:25:42 pm)

GKAbyss

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

Is the bone marrow transplant transplanting bone marrow of those who are resistant to HIV?

treejoe4

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

A man who received bone marrow got genetically resistant bone marrow, because of a genetic mutation in the donor.

And to be honest I don't see that many more cures appearing, they can't even vaccinate anyone because it isn't safe.

Last edited by treejoe4 (Jan 9 2013 3:36:33 pm)

Saintcool

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

Bone marrow transplants or so I have heard are one of the most painful normal operations you can get. I am curious why you are asking this Gka?

Edit: After looking it up it seems that BMT's are not as painful as I thought, I must have been thinking of something else. Which is weird because I am sure it was a BMT.

Last edited by Saintcool (Jan 9 2013 4:09:30 pm)

GKAbyss

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

I was trying to think of a way to "cure" HIV, by making it so AIDS wouldn't develop instead of trying to eliminate the actual virus. I thought that this might work, but when I look it up on google I can't find the correct information I'm looking for, which has been the case with many topics recently. I decided to instead ask here.
Despite benig painful, Bone marrow transplants I believe would be a much better outcome if available, than to die earlier than one should.

I also heard that Bone marrow transplants were painful, somewhere, I think on a show on a discovery channel. I may be wrong though.

Last edited by GKAbyss (Jan 9 2013 4:12:11 pm)

Saintcool

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

Since you seem to know more about this than me, if you could stop the virus from attaching to the CD4 on the white blood cell could that stop it from multiplying therefore killing it?

Last edited by Saintcool (Jan 9 2013 4:28:41 pm)

Zoey2070

Moderation Team

From: Shakuras

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 5,511

Re: Questions about HIV

The only current way of being cured of HIV is through a bone marrow transplant, if you don't believe me go look it up. A few people have been cured so far. I don't know the science behind how it cures HIV, but bone marrow produces blood cells.

A virus cannot be destroyed through blood transfusion because viruses live in the host's cells.

I'm guessing no one has actually heard of HIV being cured, probably because drugs make money.

I was going to mention this, but I figured it wasn't relevant. Timothy Ray Brown, the Berlin Patient.

He had HIV for several years and also got leukemia. There was a guy [the mutation is pretty rare and blocks HIV from entering the cells, it's most common in caucasians but it's not very common at all] who had a mutation [that i just mentioned] who donated bone marrow for him and then once they did the transplant, he was 'cured' of HIV -- even after three years without antiretroviral drugs, the levels of HIV were indetectable.
To my knowledge he's the only one who has been cured of it, but as I said, it's still not a viable cure.

Drugs also save lives, too, you know. Hence why they exist.

edit: remember how I mentioned a project? here's a <nope> (for the actual powerpoint, notes [which includes stupidity and also a plethora of source links] and all) and the image (about 2000x5000, so very large) that was quickly compiled by screenshots, in case you're interested. I gave a bit more information in my presentation, but oh well.

Last edited by Zoey2070 (Jan 9 2013 5:46:17 pm)

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proc's discorb stylish themes for forums/the game
꧁꧂L O V E & C O R N꧁꧂   ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
danke bluecloud thank u raphe    [this section of my sig is dedicated to everything i've loved that's ever died]
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Shift

Guest

Re: Questions about HIV

I'm not a doctor, but I suppose continual full body blood transfusions would delay the disease somewhat, but it certainly wouldn't serve as a cure and it would be highly impractical. Forget the cost of so many transfusions; where would you get all that blood?

Bone marrow transplants or so I have heard are one of the most painful normal operations you can get. I am curious why you are asking this Gka?

Edit: After looking it up it seems that BMT's are not as painful as I thought, I must have been thinking of something else. Which is weird because I am sure it was a BMT.

They're supposedly one of most painful things possible... if you're not anesthetized.

Oh, apparently there's a relatively new method that makes it easier.

Last edited by Shift (Jan 9 2013 5:37:41 pm)

Buzzerbee

Forum Admin

Joined: 2015-02-15

Posts: 4,575

Re: Questions about HIV

Some people have a mutation to where they're immune, well actually resistant, to HIV. If scientists studied them, maybe they would be closer to finding a cure. I feel like there's probably something that could help slow the process of HIV developing that involves epigenetics, but I'm not quite sure.

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