Selenium pills 'may combat HIV'

Taking daily selenium supplements may block the build up of HIV in a patient's blood, research suggests.

研究结果显示：每天摄入补充一定的硒补充剂可以防止HIV病毒在血液中聚集。

The University of Miami found a lower HIV viral load in patients who took selenium supplements for nine months.
迈阿密大学的研究人员发现：连续9个月服用硒的病人的血液中HIV病毒含量较低。

Selenium deficiencies have been recorded in HIV patients, and evidence suggests the mineral can improve the function of the immune system.
有记录显示HIV病人缺硒。

The Archives of Internal Medicine study suggests the supplements may be a cheap and easy way to help keep HIV in check.
研究显示补充硒是一种经济,简单的控制HIV病毒的方法。

       
Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have given HIV patients a longer life expectancy.

However, strict adherence to the therapy is required to keep HIV viral counts low, and there is a risk of side effects.

Therefore, scientists have been searching for alternative treatments to keep HIV under control.

More immune cells

Over nine months, the University of Miami team gave 91 HIV patients a daily capsule containing 200 micrograms of high-selenium yeast, and another 83 patients a daily placebo capsule.

9个多月以来，迈阿密大学的一个研究小组给91名HIV患者每天服用含有200毫克高硒发酵剂，另外83名患者服用安慰剂。


The two groups had similar selenium levels at the beginning of the study, but after nine months levels were higher in the group taking the capsules containing the mineral.
研究开始前两组病人硒水平相似。但是9个月之后第一组病人硒水平较高。

Those with higher selenium levels in their blood were more likely to have a lower HIV viral load, and higher numbers of CD4 cells, which play a key role in fighting off infection.
第一组病人血液中HIV病毒水平可能较地，CD4细胞数量较高。CD4细胞在防止HIV病毒十分关键。

The researchers said the exact mechanism by which selenium exerts its effects on HIV is not known.
研究人员说硒对HIV病毒抑制作用的机制还不太清除。

One hypothesis is that selenium's antioxidant properties may repair damage done to immune cells by oxygen, which is produced at higher levels in the bodies of patients with HIV.

Writing in the journal, the researchers said: "Given the challenges of using conventional pharmacotherapy to achieve and maintain virologic suppression in HIV-spectrum disease, our results support the use of selenium as a simple, inexpensive and safe adjunct therapy."

Roger Pebody, of the HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "We have known for some time that selenium plays a role in the immune system, but previous studies before combination therapy didn't show that these supplements have an impact on HIV.

"This research is more encouraging and suggests that selenium supplements may be useful in addition to traditional combination therapy.

"However, we wouldn't advise that people with HIV should rush out and buy these supplements immediately.

"Decisions on the value of taking supplements should always be made in consultation with your doctor."

Yusef Azad, director of the National Aids Trust, described the research as valuable.

"However, in interpreting this new report, it must be remembered that antiretroviral therapy is the only currently effective treatment for HIV.

"Selenium may have a supportive role alongside antiretroviral therapy but it cannot be a treatment in itself. "

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selenium

[b][color=Red]selenium[/color][/b]

A nonmetallic element, red in powder form, black in vitreous form, and metallic gray in crystalline form, resembling sulfur and obtained primarily as a byproduct of electrolytic copper refining. It is widely used in rectifiers, as a semiconductor, and in xerography. Its photovoltaic and photoconductive actions make it useful in photocells, photographic exposure meters, and solar cells. Atomic number 34; atomic weight 78.96; melting point (of gray selenium) 217=C; boiling point (gray) 684.9=C; specific gravity (gray) 4.79; (vitreous) 4.28; valence 2, 4, or 6.

硒一种非金属元素，粉末状时呈红色，玻璃状时呈黑色，结晶状时呈金属般的灰色，与硫类似，通常作为副产品在电解法冶炼铜时获得。广泛地用于整流器（如半导体）和静电复印术中。其光电压的和光电导的效应使它可在光电池、照相曝光表和太阳能电池中发挥作用。原子序数34；原子量78.96；（灰色硒的）熔点217=C；沸点（灰色硒的）684.9=C；（灰色硒的）比重4.79；（玻璃状的硒）比重4.28；化合价2,4或6

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BBC version.

富硒产品“能抵抗爱滋病”

HIV感染细胞
富硒产品可能可以增加免疫系统

研究显示，每日摄取富硒产品可能有阻挡爱滋病人血液里HIV病毒成长的功效。

美国迈阿密大学发现，9个月来摄取富硒产品的爱滋病人体内的HIV病毒量降低。

研究人员发现，HIV患者体内缺乏硒，而且有证据显示，矿物质能改善人体免疫系统的功能。

医疗报告表示，富硒产品补充剂可能是抑制HIV患者病情恶化的廉价办法。

抗逆转录病毒药物的治疗已经让爱滋病人延长寿命，但是病人还是需要严格遵照治疗，以降低HIV病毒数量，而且会有副作用。

因此科学家一直在试图找出控制HIV病毒的另类治疗方式，而富硒产品补充剂可能就是答案。

此前，中国已经在计划开发富硒农产品产业工程项目，据专家介绍，硒是人体必需的微量营养元素，目前发现至少有22种癌症与低硒有关。

中国媒体报道，富硒产品市场前景广阔，潜力巨大，富硒农产品能够几倍甚至几十倍提高农作物的价值，在市场上非常抢手。