英国《独立报》2月22日报道，科学家表示利用大剂量抗逆转录病毒药物疗法有望在四十年内根除艾滋病
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艾滋病孤儿与他们的看护者一起住在坦桑尼亚阿鲁沙的家中。HIV病毒给社会带来的成本要高于通用的抗逆转录病毒疗法所付出的成本。
一位使用激进新疗法、奋战在抗击艾滋病第一线的科学家表示，对于感染了HIV病毒的艾滋病病人，如采用抗逆转录病毒药物进行治疗，有望在近四十年内根除这种全球蔓延的传染病。
流行病学建模和分析机构南非中心部门的布莱恩·威廉姆斯(Brian Williams)说，对于感染HIV病毒的病人而言，在接受了抗逆转录病毒(ART)药物的治疗之后，五年内都没有出现新的感染迹象，并且逐渐消灭了这种传染病。
威廉姆斯医生是众多坚信这一点的专家之一。他们认为这种抗艾滋病病毒药物很可能有望防止、甚至杜绝艾滋病的蔓延之势，而人们不能坐以待毙去等待开发出新的疫苗，或者只能指望人类去更改他们性生活的方式。
该设想会在接下来的一年内接受测试，最初会对数千位生活在南非的艾滋病病人进行可控范围内的临床试验，南非是HIV病毒和艾滋病频发地区。威廉姆斯医生说接下来会在美国一些HIV病毒猖獗蔓延的城市中心地区进行类似的临床试验。
威廉姆斯医生告诉位于美国加利福尼亚州圣地亚的美国科学发展协会(American Association for the Advancement of Science)的人员说：“使用抗逆转录病毒(ART)疗法是目前最好的办法，它不仅可以挽救人类的生命，并且可以降低HIV病毒的感染率。我相信如果我们使用抗逆转录病毒(ART)药物的话，在四年内就可能有效遏止HIV病毒的传播。这种药物很有可能停止HIV病毒的感染，并在十年内或许会将与艾滋病相关的肺结核病人数量降低一半，并在四十年内彻底消灭这两种传染病。”
抗逆转录病毒药物可以显著降低病人体内血液的HIV含量，此外还能帮助病人抵抗艾滋病。这种药物可以明显降低艾滋病在人与人之间的传染力。传染力即是指将病毒从一个人身上传染到另一个人的能力。
威廉姆斯医生及其支持者认为，如果足够多感染了艾滋病的人能够获得治疗，就将会降低艾滋病大面积传染、致人死亡的机率。他表示艾滋病将在本世纪中期会被消灭掉。
威廉姆斯医生说：“目前的问题在于，我们现在使用这种药物是为了挽救生命，但并没有利用它们来阻止艾滋病的传染。”对于HIV呈阳性的病人而言，要遏止其病毒传染，只能在利用抗逆转录病毒药物快速治疗之后，经过广泛的测试机制才能达到此目的。
威廉姆斯医生说：“使用抗逆转录病毒药物可将病毒含量降低10000倍，这有可能将传染率减少25倍。如果真的达到这个程度，就足以从根本上遏止艾滋病的传播。”
一项于2008年发表的研究成果表明，该药物从理论上可降低95%的HIV发病率，发病率从20：1000减少到1：1000。这项对抗逆转录病毒药物的普遍测试与处方研究将为期十年。
威廉姆斯医生介绍：“带有HIV病毒的人平均每一两年会把病毒传染给另外一个人。感染了HIV的病人如果不进行治疗，患病之后的平均寿命只会剩下十年，并且还会把病毒传染给其他的五到十个人。如果感染了病毒一年之内的病人采用了抗逆转录病毒药物治疗，其传染率将会降低十倍。每个带有HIV病毒的病人，如果他的平均传染数量降低到一个人以内，那么艾滋病将会被消灭。”
艾滋病病人必须每天都服用抗逆转录病毒药物，仅在南非的这项测试成本每年达到了40亿美元(合26亿英镑)。然而，威廉姆斯医生认为治疗大量艾滋病病人必须要付出一定成本。另外，由于疾病使社会丧失了大批年轻劳动力，这也是一种经济成本，这比把抗逆转录病毒药物免费发放到需要它们的人手中，所付出的代价还要高昂。
威廉姆斯医生补充道：“问题的关键在于，如果我们什么都不做的话，可能会付出更大的代价。在南非，我们会花费大量金钱让感染了HIV病毒的病人住院进行治疗。更加重要的一点是，年轻人正处于他们的黄金时期，应该为社会作出贡献，而艾滋病却正在夺走他们的生命。这种成本流失会给社会带来巨大的损失。在我看来，如果把所有成本因素都化为公式进行计算的话，从这项研究的起初阶段，它就在为社会节省成本，因为这些药物的成本比治疗患有其他疾病的成本更加重要。我的一个朋友有这样一种观点，无所事事所付出的成本要比其他解决办法的成本都要高昂。”
首次全面的临床试验计划在南非德班向北220千米处的思莫科海利(Somkhele)拉比萨(Hlabisa)地区进行。该临床试验的目的在于确认病人们是否按照严格的每日处方要求服用抗逆转录病毒药物，同时观察传染率是否降到了所期望的水平。
威廉姆斯医生说：“全球有四分之一的艾滋病病人都在非洲南部地区，而这些病人中有一半来自南非。因此南非是艾滋病传染非常严重的地区。我们可能会迅速阻止艾滋病的传播，但这项工作还远没有结束。因为感染了HIV病毒的病人会终身携带病毒。因此我们会长期从事这项事业。在这种疗法能够真正为公众健康服务之前，我们需要进行大量的操作性研究。不过，我们拥有充沛的热情去开展这项研究。”
作者史蒂夫·康纳(Steve Connor)，科学编辑，圣地亚哥
翻译：quicker
来源：英国独立报
AIDS or will be eradicated in the four decades of the human
British "The Independent" reported February 22, scientists said that the use of high-dose anti-retroviral drug therapy is expected in the four decades to eradicate HIV
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AIDS orphans and their caregivers living with the family in Arusha, Tanzania. HIV, the cost to society than generic anti-retroviral therapy for the costs.
The use of a radical new treatment, fighting the front line in the fight against AIDS, scientists said, for HIV-infected AIDS patients, such as the use of antiretroviral drugs for treatment, is expected to in the past four decades to eradicate this global spread of infectious diseases .
Epidemiological modeling and analysis of a central authority for South Africa, Brian Williams (Brian Williams) said that for patients infected with HIV-speaking, to receive anti-retroviral (ART) drug treatment, within five years are no new signs of infection, and the gradual elimination of the disease.
Williams is one of many doctors believe that one of the experts. They believe that this anti-HIV drugs are likely expected to prevent, or even eliminate the potential spread of AIDS, and people can not sit to wait to develop new vaccines, or can only be expected to change their sex life the human way.
The idea will be tested next year, initially would have thousands of AIDS patients living in South Africa to conduct controlled clinical trials within the scope of South Africa is the HIV virus and AIDS in areas with high frequency. Dr Williams said the following in the rampant spread of HIV, the United States a number of urban centers to conduct similar clinical trials.
The doctor told Williams in the United States, California, Sandia Science and Development Association of the United States (American Association for the Advancement of Science) staff said: "The use of anti-retroviral (ART) treatment is the best way, it can not only save human life, and can reduce HIV-infection rates. I believe that if we use anti-retroviral (ART) drugs, then within four years could effectively curb the spread of HIV virus. this drug is likely to stop HIV virus infection, and perhaps within the next decade will be AIDS-related cut in half the number of tuberculosis patients, and in four decades to eliminate the two diseases. "
Anti-retroviral drugs can significantly reduce the patient's body and blood HIV levels, in addition to also help the patient against AIDS. The drug can significantly reduce the infectivity of AIDS from person to person. Mean it will be contagious from one person who transmitted the virus to another human capacity.
Dr Williams and his supporters believe that if enough people can be infected with AIDS access to treatment, it will reduce the area of AIDS transmission, the chances of causing death. He said that AIDS will be in the middle of the century will be destroyed.
Dr Williams said: "The current problem is that we now use this drug in order to save lives, but did not use them to prevent the spread of AIDS." For HIV-positive patients, in order to curb the transmission of the virus, only in the use of antiretroviral drugs rapidly after treatment, after extensive testing mechanism to achieve this purpose.
Dr Williams said: "The use of anti-retroviral drugs can reduce the viral load of 10,000 times, it is possible to reduce the infection rate 25 times. If you really reach this level is sufficient to radically curb the spread of AIDS."
A study published in 2008, the results indicate that the drug can theoretically be reduced by 95% of HIV incidence, morbidity from 20:1000 reduced to 1:1000. The antiretroviral drugs, testing and prescription of general studies will be ten years.
Dr Williams describes: "with the HIV virus, an average of every two years, will transmit the virus to another person. Infected with HIV patients without treatment, the sick will be left after the average life expectancy of ten years, and will also spread the virus to the other five to ten individuals. if infected with the virus of patients within one year of using antiretroviral drug therapy, the infection rate will be reduced ten-fold. each of the patients with the HIV virus, If his average down to a person's risk of transmission of less than, it will be the eradication of AIDS. "
AIDS patients must take daily anti-retroviral drugs, only the cost of the test in South Africa annually 40 billion dollars (2.6 billion pounds). However, the Williams a large number of doctors believe that treatment of AIDS patients have to pay a certain cost. In addition, because the loss of a large number of diseases, the society of young labor force, which is also an economic cost, more than the free distribution of antiretroviral drugs into the hands of those who need them, the still high cost.
Dr Williams added: "The crux of the matter is that if we do nothing, then you may pay a higher price. In South Africa, we will spend a lot of money so that HIV-infected patients hospitalized for treatment. Is more important The point is that young people are in their golden period, they should contribute to the community, and AIDS are taking away their lives. This would bring the cost of the loss of huge losses. In my view, if all the Cost factors are calculated into the formula, then, from the initial stage of this study, it cost savings for the society, because these drugs cost more than the cost of treating people with other diseases, even more important. I have a friend there is such a point of view, nothing for the costs to the cost than other solutions should be high. "
The first comprehensive clinical trials planned for Durban, South Africa northward 220 km with Si Moke Haili (Somkhele) Labiza (Hlabisa) area. The purpose of the clinical trials to confirm whether the patients were prescribed according to strict requirements to take daily anti-retroviral drugs, while observing the transmission rate is reduced to the desired level.
Dr Williams said: "one quarter of AIDS patients worldwide are in southern Africa, and half of these patients from South Africa. So South Africa is the AIDS epidemic is very serious. We may quickly stop the spread of AIDS , but this work is far from over. because of the patients infected with HIV, the virus will carry for life. Therefore, we will engage in this business a long time. In this treatment can truly public health service, we need a lot of operational research. However, we have plenty of enthusiasm to carry out this research. "
By Steve Connor (Steve Connor), science editor, San Diego
Translation: quicker
Source: British Independent newspaper
