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mycobacteria" have been studied for decades for their well known that some people can be HIV positive for effects on human illness. Unfortunately, scientists rarely | many months or years before showing signs of immune pay attention to these pleomorphic forms, and pathologists | system suppression and/or opportunistic infections rely primarily on the demonstration of the "typical" acid- characteristic of "full-blown" AIDS. For this reason, it is fast rod forms of mycobacteria to diagnose tuberculosis _ possible that another infectious agent (in addition to HIV) and/or mycobacterial disease (see figure 4). This is might be required to produce full-blown AIDS. unfortunate, because the acid-fast bacteria that are This communication suggests that mycobacteria and demonstrable in AIDS and cancer (and certain other "mycoplasmas" are a necessary co-factor in AIDS. immunological diseases) are primarily pleomorphic and Infection with HIV leads to immunosuppression and "filterable" forms which often go unrecognised (see inevitable opportunistic infections. The leading cause of figures 1-3). death in AIDS is bacterial TB caused by M. tuberculosis infection, and infection with is a leading cause of death amon, . mycobacteria is common in people who are HIV positive and The leading cause of death advanced cases of AIDS. it accounts for about 13 per cent in AIDS is bacterial Like HIV, mycobacteria can of AIDS deaths worldwide. . . . . produce immune system damage The type of species of acid-fast infection, and infection and lowering of the CD4 and mycobacterial infection in AIDS depends largely on _ the CD8 lymphocyte blood counts with mycobacteria Is that are characteristic of AIDS. geographic area. For example, common in advanced Although most scientists agree M. tuberculosis is the common that HIV causes AIDS, there is a acid-fast infection in Africa and cases of AIDS. small but highly vocal group of in Brazil, while in the United researchers called The Perth States M. avium complex is the Group that deny HIV as the most common species of acid-fast infection. cause. The leading spokesperson for the group is Bermudez et al. estimate that 50-60 per cent of US __ molecular biologist Peter Duesberg, who believes AIDS in AIDS patients are infected with the non-tuberculous gays is due to intake of drugs combined with a sexual Mycobacterium avium complex. In the US, it is rare to lifestyle. One can Google "The Perth Group" for details find a case of M. avium that is not AIDS associated. about their objections to HIV. The National Institutes of Health provides counterarguments on a web page entitled Is HIV the sole cause of AIDS? "The Evidence that HIV Causes AIDS", located at The diagnosis of AIDS requires a patient to be HIV _http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/evidhiv.htm. positive by blood testing. However, there is a precise Suffice to say that neither the AIDS dissenters nor the clinical difference between HIV infection and AIDS. Itis | AIDS establishment pays much attention to TB-like bacteria as an underlying and r) ‘ _ > v necessary co-factor in the ~ ‘= 4 nal c Pas a = - | development of AIDS. The leading cause of death in AIDS is bacterial on Is HIV the sole cause of AIDS? The diagnosis of AIDS requires a patient to be HIV positive by blood testing. However, there is a precise clinical difference between HIV infection and AIDS. It is Is AIDS caused by pleomorphic acid-fast bacteria? As mentioned, mycobacteria can exist in forms other than the typical acid-fast (red-stained), rod-shaped form. Pleomorphic forms of mycobacteria include cell-wall- deficient forms, so-called "L-forms", filterable forms, granular forms, mycoplasma-like forms and virus-like forms as well as "giant bodies", some as large as red blood cells. These atypical forms are not well recognised by scientists, but have been repeatedly described not only in AIDS but also in cancers and certain immunologic diseases. The "virus-like", "filterable" and "granular" forms of TB bacteria have Figure 1. Pleomorphic bacteria in an enlarged lymph node from an early case of AIDS. Large Russell bodies (RB) and small, round, coccoid forms are present (arrow). Gram stain, magnification 1000x, in oil. 26 ¢ NEXUS infection, and infection with mycobacteria is common in advanced cases of AIDS. www.nexusmagazine.com AUGUST — SEPTEMBER 2008