5 ms·

… and no scientists tried to find out why he is seemingly resistant to the virus?? That is the _real_ secret in his blood.

by zvrba 8y ago

hycaria 8y ago
There are known resistance especially in northern europe where up to 10% might be resistant to aids. You still carry the virus though (although at very low concentration) There are strong suppositions that the locale distribution of the gene might be linked to earlier plagues (smallpox it seems). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC299980/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC299980/
classichasclass 8y ago
The article doesn't say, but he may be an elite controller or something similar. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/51/2/239/303856 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/51/2/239/303856
dm319 8y ago
I'm not sure he necessarily is resistant to the virus. It has a long and variable incubation period, and he may have been lucky enough that this incubation period reached the point at which HAART treatment was widely available.
- Aloha 8y ago
  In the article it says: "Matt looks at where he is today with amazement. His hepatitis C has gone and his viral loads of HIV are still undetectable – he’s never had to take anti-retrovirals. Of about 1,250 haemophiliacs infected with both hepatitis C and HIV due to the scandal, according to the campaign group Tainted Blood, fewer than 250 are still alive. “It really is, in terms of health outcomes, like winning the lottery,” he says."
  - dm319 8y ago
    Ah thanks, missed that. Makes you wonder whether the Hep C treatment (probably with interferon) helped to keep the HIV under control too.
jacquesm 8y ago
There have been quite a few cases of proven resistance against HIV, starting with a population of African prostitutes that somehow managed to avoid contracting the disease despite numerous unprotected encounters with HIV positive individuals.
phyzome 8y ago
Yes, there's active research into this sort of thing.

… and no scientists tried to find out why he is seemingly resistant to the virus?? That is the _real_ secret in his blood.

by zvrba 8y ago

… and no scientists tried to find out why he is seemingly resistant to the virus?? That is the _real_ secret in his blood.

hycaria 8y ago

There are known resistance especially in northern europe where up to 10% might be resistant to aids. You still carry the virus though (although at very low concentration) There are strong suppositions that the locale distribution of the gene might be linked to earlier plagues (smallpox it seems). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC299980/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC299980/

classichasclass 8y ago

The article doesn't say, but he may be an elite controller or something similar. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/51/2/239/303856 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/51/2/239/303856

dm319 8y ago

I'm not sure he necessarily is resistant to the virus. It has a long and variable incubation period, and he may have been lucky enough that this incubation period reached the point at which HAART treatment was widely available.

Aloha 8y ago
In the article it says: "Matt looks at where he is today with amazement. His hepatitis C has gone and his viral loads of HIV are still undetectable – he’s never had to take anti-retrovirals. Of about 1,250 haemophiliacs infected with both hepatitis C and HIV due to the scandal, according to the campaign group Tainted Blood, fewer than 250 are still alive. “It really is, in terms of health outcomes, like winning the lottery,” he says."
- dm319 8y ago
  Ah thanks, missed that. Makes you wonder whether the Hep C treatment (probably with interferon) helped to keep the HIV under control too.

jacquesm 8y ago

There have been quite a few cases of proven resistance against HIV, starting with a population of African prostitutes that somehow managed to avoid contracting the disease despite numerous unprotected encounters with HIV positive individuals.

phyzome 8y ago

Yes, there's active research into this sort of thing.