RESUMO
PIP: In 1987, under the aegis of the governmental campaign against AIDS, military hospitals in Moscow established a department for the diagnosis and treatment of HIV-infected and AIDS patients among the military and their families. Clinical and laboratory examinations showed that 96 people out of 130 examined either were positive for HIV or were suffering from symptoms of AIDS. 77 were military from African countries, 15 from Russia, and 4 were their family members. Out of these 15 patients from Russia, 8 had been infected via sexual intercourse: 1 via homosexual and 7 via heterosexual intercourse. In 10 patients, HIV infection had been diagnosed 1-2 years after being infected, in 3 patients 3-6 years later, and in 2 patients more than 10 years afterwards. Every other patient exhibited symptoms of the second stage of AIDS: persistent generalized lymphadenopathy. 4 patients had lost body weight, 8 patients had prolonged fever, 2 had diarrhea, 4 had various dermatological symptoms, 4 had opportunistic infections, 5 had other infections (viral hepatitis, acute pneumonia, and salmonella), and 3 patients had other ailments (paranephritis, salpingoophoritis, endometritis, purulent otitis). The cases of 3 patients are described in detail. 4 out of 5 patients who were transferred to this special department demonstrated severe inflammatory processes as a consequence of their HIV-infection: paranephritis, pneumonia, purulent cholangitis, and salmonella. All patients also evinced damage to their immune system: the reduction of T-lymphocyte count and T-helper cells and the reduction of the index of T-helper/T-suppressor cells (to 0.31 from the norm of 1.1-2.2). The treatment of AIDS patients consisted of the use of azidothimidine, which inhibits the activity of reverse transcriptase; the stimulation of the immune system by means of timalin (10 mg for 5 days im); and treating secondary fungal infections (up to 8 million IU of nystatin/day, up to 4 million IU of levorin, and up to 200 mg of diflucan).^ieng