Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0242429 (sore throat)
 2,760 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A review of the medical and personal histories of 100 gay men in San Francisco, 24 of whom had already developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), uncovered disproportionate prior antibiotic and immunosuppressive drug use. 25 of the men reported at least 9 of the following 12 conditions: antibiotic treatment for multiple episodes of gonorrhea, hepatitis, nonspecific urethritis, dermatological eruptions treated with long-term tetracycline, sedative or tranquilizer use, chronic sore throat treated with antibiotics, herpes simplex, chronic use of allergy medications and symptom suppressants, lymphadenopathy, diarrhea, daily alcohol use, and recreational drug abuse. On the basis of this finding, it is hypothesized that a prior history of chronic inflammation, combined with the administration of antibiotics and other immunosuppressive drugs, creates an environment conducive to the growth and reproduction of an array of micro-organisms, including the retrovirus found in AIDS. Moreover, among both US homosexuals and African AIDS patients, chemical immunosuppression is often linked to endemic syphilis. The expression of such secondary and tertiary syphilis is commonly masked and distorted by the long-term effects of subcurative doses of antibiotics; in fact, late latent and tertiary syphilis produce symptoms and immunosuppression similar to the profile of AIDS. It is estimated that at least 60% of US homosexuals have a history of syphilis, and 90% of gay with AIDS have had at least 1 syphilitic infection. Since the immunosuppression of advanced syphilis and drug-induced immunosuppression can produce false-negative results in antigen and antibody tests for syphilis, it is recommended that gay men obtain baseline serologic tests for syphilis and undergo repeat testing if new symptoms arise.
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PMID:Unmasking AIDS: chemical immunosuppression and seronegative syphilis. 364 10