Clinical features of HIV disease in developing countries.

HIV disease progresses from an asymptomatic period of variable duration, through mild symptoms, to severe disease characteristic of cellular immunodeficiency. The rate of progression from infection to severe disease is probably similar world-wide. However, individuals in developing countries have more symptomatic disease, in keeping with the high incidence of morbidity in the general population, and poor survival with advanced disease. The clinical manifestations of severe HIV-related immunosuppression vary with geographical region. Tuberculosis (TB) is the most important severe opportunistic disease in developing countries: the clinical presentation may differ from TB in the immunocompetent. Bacterial infections, particularly due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and non-typhoid Salmonella spp., are also important causes of morbidity and mortality. Fungal diseases such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis and penicilliosis vary in prevalence in different geographical regions. A high index of suspicion of HIV infection and knowledge of the local spectrum of HIV disease are important for early diagnosis and appropriate management of HIV-related disease.

Pot shots.

AIDS: Certain HIV drugs have significant side effects. There have been reports from Europe that some hemophiliacs using protease inhibitors suffered from spontaneous bleeding. Clofazimine, sold as Lamprene, has been shown to cause harm when used with clarithromycin and ethambutol to treat MAC. Lamprene may cause internal bleeding, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, and dry skin. Results of a Taiwanese trial of thymosin-alpha indicate that it did not help treat Hepatitis B in a statistically significant way. NAC, an antioxidant, may increase glutathione levels and indirectly increase survival.^ieng

Infective neuropathies.

Infective neuropathies encompass neuropathies that are among the most common in the world. Retroviral infection, which includes infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, has now spread worldwide. This virus is responsible for a number of disabling peripheral neuropathies, either from the immune reaction that follows penetration of the virus into nervous system of the host, or by opportunistic infection secondary to the major cellular immunodeficit induced by gradual destruction of lymphocytes bearing the CD4 antigen on their surface. In the other class of retroviruses, human T lymphotrophic viruses (HTLV), which are responsible for the HTLV-I-associated myelopathy or tropical spastic paraparesis, peripheral nerve involvement and inflammatory myopathy are less common and milder than in HIV infection. Leprosy continues to pose problems concerning the understanding of the immune mechanisms that lead to the various patterns of nerve lesions encountered in this condition. Chagas' disease, which is due to infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, affects more than 15 million people in Latin America. It is accompanied by mostly subclinical peripheral nerve involvement and by cardiac manifestations from lesions of the autonomic nervous system and cardiac muscle.