HERPESVIRIDAE INFECTIONS AND THE PROGRESSION OF AIDS

ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) IS A CLINICAL SYNDROME RESULTING FROM THE INTERACTION OF A WIDE VARIETY OFPATHOGENS WITH THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. THE CLASSIC PROGRESSION IS FROM HIV EXPOSURE TO SEROCONVERSION TO AIDS-RELATED COMPLEX (ARC) TO AIDS. ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF PATHOGENS OTHER THAN HIV IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE PROGRESSION OF DISEASE AND APPROPRIATE THERAPY. ALSO, EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT VIRAL INTERACTION ACCELERATES THE PROGRESSION FROM ARC TO AIDS AND DEATH. IF SO, RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF THESE VIRUSES IS OF EXTREME IMPORTANCE. DNA PROBES DIRECTLY LINKED TO ENZYMES CAN BE QUICKLY, EASILY, AND EFFECTIVELY USED TO DIAGNOSE AND QUANTIFY THE PRESENCE OF THESE VIRAL PATHOGENS, REGARDLESS OF THE STATUS OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, ANTIGEN MASKING, OR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION. IN PHASE I, DIRECTLY LABELED DNA PROBES WILL BE USED IN RAPID IN SITU HYBRIDIZATIONS TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF VIRUSES IN AIDS-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS, SUCH AS HAIRY LEUKOPLAKIA, KAPOSI'S SARCOMA, OTHER SKIN DISEASES, AND PNEUMONIA. THE QUANTITY AND HISTOLOGIC LOCATION OF THESE VIRUSES WILL BE INVESTIGATED. PHASE II WILL APPLY THESE FINDINGS BY STUDYING THE PATHOGENESIS OF VARIOUS AIDS-ASSOCIATED DISORDERS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HERPES VIRUSES ON HIV REPLICATION TO DETERMINE IF VARIOUS ANTIVIRALTHERAPIES DECREASE VIRAL REPLICATION.