title: Malariotherapy for HIV patients.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether HIV patients who undergo malariotherapy experience beneficial immunological change without iatrogenic complications. In an approved, prospective study, asymptomatic. HIV-positive patients were inoculated with P. vivax malaria and the malaria infection was allowed to run a predetermined course according to standard malariotherapy protocols and was cured with chloroquine. After termination of the malaria, the patients have been followed for 2 years with clinical and immunological monitoring. In the first two HIV-positive patients, CD4 counts rose significantly from pre-malaria measurements and remain at normal levels 2 years later without further treatment of any kind. During this time, the patients remained clinically well. An additional six HIV-positive patients were treated with malariotherapy and have remained clinically well during the first 6 months after treatment. These initial studies demonstrate malariotherapy results in an increase in CD4 counts of HIV-positive patients. Furthermore, these increases persist beyond the presence of malaria, for at least 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Heimlich Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Heimlich
authors.forename: X P
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: B Q
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Spletzer
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D013997:Time Factors