HEALTH NEWS

Study Title:

Q10 Lacking in HIV Infection

Study Abstract

AIDS patients (2 groups) had a blood deficiency (p less than 0.001) of coenzyme Q10 vs. 2 control groups. AIDS patients had a greater deficiency (p less than 0.01) than ARC patients. ARC patients had a deficiency (p less than 0.05) vs. control. HIV-infected patients had a deficiency (p less than 0.05) vs. control. The deficiency of CoQ10 increased with the increased severity of the disease, i.e., from HIV positive (no symptoms) to ARC (constitutional symptoms, no opportunistic infection or tumor) to AIDS (HIV infection, opportunistic infection and/or tumor). This deficiency, a decade of data on CoQ10 on the immune system, on IgG levels, on hematological activity constituted the rationale for treatment with CoQ10 of 7 patients with AIDS or ARC. One was lost to follow-up; one expired after stopping CoQ10; 5 survived, were symptomatically improved with no opportunistic infection after 4-7 months. In spite of poor compliance of 5/7 patients, the treatment was very encouraging and at times even striking.

Study Information

Folkers K, Langsjoen P, Nara Y, Muratsu K, Komorowski J, Richardson PC, Smith TH.
Biochemical deficiencies of coenzyme Q10 in HIV-infection and exploratory treatment.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun.
1988 June
Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Texas, Austin 78712.