AFRO-NETS> A new twist to the anti-HIV drugs for Africa saga

[Frank Baiden <fbaiden@hotmail.com>]

A new twist to the anti-HIV drugs for Africa saga
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Dear All,

I letter published in the current edition of the Lancet and cited by 
BBC online introduces a new dimension to the debate on making anti-
HIV drugs available in developing countries:

"Researchers from Stuttgart, Germany have discovered the West Afri-
cans may have a genetic make-up which could prevent some anti-HIV 
drugs working properly. The researchers looked at the genetic make-
ups of 172 Ghanaians, 41 African/Americans, 40 Japanese and 537 white 
people. They found that the vast majority - approximately 80% of the 
Ghanaians tested positive for the gene type they called C/C. Only 
just about one in five of the white people tested had that genotype. 
The C/C gene was linked to a much higher concentration of a particu-
lar protein in the cells, which line the gut.

The researchers however suggest that the difference might naturally 
give these populations an advantage when it comes to fighting gastro-
intestinal infections".

Whichever way one looks at it, this information is a call to work on 
all researchers working on HIV/AIDS in Africa.


Dr. Frank E. Baiden 
Clinical Research Officer 
NHRC, Navrongo
Ghana 
mailto:fbaiden@hotmail.com


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