Briton claims to have beaten HIV vir... 
LCD
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Briton claims to have beaten HIV virus Sun Nov 13,10:23 AM ET
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051113/sc_nm/hiv_dc;_ylt=Agj628bsiVGpzmFncpBvWBY...
A British man claimed on Sunday to be the first person to become clear of the HIV virus, which can lead to AIDS, after earlier testing positive for it.
If true, the case of 25-year-old Andrew Stimpson -- reported in two British newspapers -- could reveal more about the virus and possibly even provide a breakthrough in the search for a cure for HIV/AIDS.
A spokeswoman for Chelsea and Westminster Heathcare Trust in London confirmed that one of its patients had tested negative for HIV about 14 months after testing positive in May 2002.
"He did test positive and then later negative, but in terms of curing himself, we don't know because he hasn't been back for further tests," said the spokeswoman.
"We very much want him to return so we can try to find out what exactly has happened," she added.
There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, responsible for the deaths of millions of people and especially virulent in parts of Africa. Some experts say there are nearly 35 million sufferers around the world.
Scientists cite anecdotal accounts from Africa of people shaking off HIV but say they have never seen firm evidence.
"I feel truly special and lucky," Stimpson, who is a sandwich maker, told the News of the World. "All the doctors have told me it is a medial miracle that I am clear."
Patrick Dixon, a doctor and HIV expert, told Sky News this was the first time someone had kicked the virus out of their body.
"(AIDS) is a hugely significant problem which at moment we have no cure for," said Dixon.
"It's just possible inside this man's body is a biological key. If we can find an antibody that he's produced that has enabled him to kick this virus out, we could in theory find a way of engineering that antibody and giving it as some sort of treatment," he said.
The hospital spokeswoman said subsequent DNA checks had proven there had been no mix-up in the identity of the patient and the HIV tests, but said she did not know whether there could have been any other error in the original test.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051113/sc_nm/hiv_dc;_ylt=Agj628bsiVGpzmFncpBvWBY...
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Caution over HIV 'cure' claims LCD
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This is a reply to # 588,788
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4432564.stmCaution over HIV 'cure' claims
Doctors say they want to investigate the case of a British man with HIV who apparently became clear of the virus.
Andrew Stimpson said he was one of the luckiest people aliveAndrew Stimpson, 25, was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2002 but was found to be negative in October 2003 by Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust.
Mr Stimpson, from London, said he was "one of the luckiest people alive".
The trust said the tests were accurate but had been unable to confirm Scotsman Mr Stimpson's cure because he had declined to undergo further tests.
A statement from the trust said: "This is a rare and complex case. When we became aware of Mr Stimpson's HIV negative test results we offered him further tests to help us investigate and find an explanation for the different results.
I think I'm one of the luckiest people alive 
Andrew Stimpson
"So far Mr Stimpson has declined this offer."
A trust spokeswoman added: "We urge him, for the sake of himself and the HIV community, to come in and get tested.
"If he doesn't feel that he can come to Chelsea and Westminster then he should please go to another HIV specialist."
'Miracle'
There have been anecdotal accounts before from Africa of people shaking off the HIV virus.
Mr Stimpson, who is originally from Largs in Ayrshire, said: "There are 34.9 million people with HIV globally and I am just one person who managed to control it, to survive from it and to get rid of it from my body.
"For me that is unbelievable - it is a miracle. I think I'm one of the luckiest people alive."
Mr Stimpson told the News of the World and Mail on Sunday that he became depressed and suicidal after being told he was HIV-positive but remained well and did not require medication.
Further tests
Some 14 months later he was offered another test by doctors, which came back negative.
He sought compensation but has apparently been told there is no case to answer because there was no fault with the testing procedure.
He has told the papers he would do anything he could to help find a cure.
Deborah Jack, chief executive of the National Aids Trust, said: "This appears to be a highly unusual case and without further tests it is impossible to draw any conclusions for people living with HIV.
"The virus is extremely complex and there are many unknowns about how it operates and how people's bodies react to it.
"Therefore, if this case were able to shed further light, it could be extremely valuable for research into treatments or a cure."
Vaccine clue
Aids expert Dr Patrick Dixon, from international Aids group Acet, said the case was "very, very unusual".
"I've come across many anecdotal reports of this kind of thing happening in Africa, some quite recently, but it's difficult to verify them," he told BBC News 24.
"You have to be rock-solid sure that both samples came from the same person, no mix-up in the laboratory, no mistakes in the testing, etc.
"This is the first well-documented case."
He said the case was important because "inside his immune system is perhaps a key that could allow us to develop some kind of vaccine".
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- Re: Caution over HIV 'cure' claims mccarty
19 y
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This is a reply to # 588,789Basically, you have one positive test, followed by fourteen negative ones. What are the odds that the first was made in error? Similar to the statements made in this article, there are plently of lab follies happening everyday. At other times, false positives and negatives just happen on their own.
- Re: Caution over HIV 'cure' claims mccarty
19 y
2,131
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