HIV Or Anti-HIV Drugs Unexpectedly Protect Against Multiple Sclerosis, Otherwise A Disease With No

[Avalux]

1. Interesting.

While there appears to be a correlation of some sort between HIV infection and MS, what exactly is going on here?

We have patients with HIV infection, on treatment, with MS. We have patients not infected with HIV, therefore not on treatment, with MS. A comparison of retrospective (uncontrolled) data was made.

Is HIV infection itself the reason why there are fewer MS diagnoses in that group of patients? Or - is it the treatment? There are an assortment of antiretrovirals to treat HIV infection, and they work differently which is why someone with HIV infection needs to take more than one at a time, based upon their HIV genotype. Of the patients in the study, were they all taking the same regimen of drugs? What were the inclusion/exclusion criteria to control variables?

The conclusion made from sorting through data of 5 million people might seem really promising; but it doesn't mean much unless they can figure out why.