Extracorporeal whole body hyperthermia treatment of HIV patients, a feasibility study

The literature supports that the retrovirus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is thought to cause Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is heat sensitive at temperatures which can be achieved in man. Invasive or non-invasive induction of whole body hyperthermia (WBH) has been used to treat an array of illnesses, primarily in the field of oncology, until recently. Non-invasive methods have proven to be less toxic than invasive means. However, new technology and refined patient management have shown a dramatic decrease in the side effects with extracorporeal whole body hyperthermia (EWBH). The Food and Drug Administration granted a prospective trial for six HIV positive/AIDS patients to undergo a single treatment of EWBH, with patients randomized to a core temperature of either 41 or 42 degrees C. All patients had failed antiretrovirals and experienced at least one episode of an opportunistic infection. Organetics, Ltd., PS-1 extracorporeal, centrifugal pump device was used to induce EWBH. Results of this feasibility study demonstrated the ability of this equipment and technique to induce EWBH with acceptable toxicity. It was not possible to assess efficacy in this small study.