Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

252 Abstracts WePeF6667-WePeF6670

XIV International AIDS Conference

users to invistigate the socio demgraphics, clinical, therapeutic and other determinants of PLWHIV.
Methods: anonymous questionnaires were distributed in UK, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Greece and Spain among people attending associations for fight
against AIDS.
Results: A total of 1066 subjects entered in the study:632 were CT users and
434 were not CT users. CT use was more frequent in females than in males
(OR1.6 95%CI 1.2-2.2) and was related to education: the multivariate OR of ever
use compared with subject with no education or primary school degree, was 2.1
(95% CI 1,6-3,0) for subject with secondary degree and 2.1 (95% Cl 1.5-2.9) for
graduated ones (p<0.05).CT most commonly used were diet supplementation
(77.8% of CT users).The media duration of CT use was between 1-2 years. The
most commonly reported reasons to use CT were to deal with symptoms of fatigue and to get more energy (64,1%) and to improve more quality of life (73,6%).
Among HAART users 51,6% use CT to prevent side effect. There was no statistical difference in clinical status between ever and never users. Ever CT users to
report a longer time since HIV infection than never CT users (p<0,05). There no
statistical difference in clinical status between CT users and never users.
Conclusion: The results of study indicated that among PLWHIV ever CT use is
more frequent in females, more educated patients, with longer infections. CT use
is related to a longer duration of HAART and to related side effects
Presenting author: Paola Nasta, Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseaselus,
Spedali Civili, Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili 1, 25125 Brescia, Italy, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeF6667 Reasons for complementary therapy (CT) use and
characteristics of user in HIV infected people
V. Agnolettol, P. Nasta', C. Sala', F. Chiaffarino2, S. Cipriani2, E. Ricci2. 1LILA,
LILA, Via Rogoredo 41, 20100 Milan, Italy; 21stituto Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
Background: There is a general thought that HIV infected people use CT to slow
progression of the disease, to provide better immunity and to reduce adverse
effects of traditional therapies.
However, very few studies have analyzed in a large sample of subjects the expectations towards CT.
Methods: Anonymous questionnaires were distributed in UK, Italy, Germany, Belgium, France, Greece and Spain among people attending associations for fight
against AIDS including, also, information on time of HAART use, presence of side
effects, treatment interruption or changing drugs due to adverse event.
Results: A total of 632 ever CT use entered the study: nutritional supplements
(19.6%) and psychophysiological approaches (18.4%) are the CT most frequently
used and almost 43% used more of two types of CT Among the total sample of
CT users, 52.9% were 36-45 years old and 34.8% aged 35 or less. Users of different types of CT showed the same distribution but homeopathy users tended to
be younger. The 61.4% of subjects used CT to improve energy without difference
between different types of CT used. 50.3% of CT users used it to prevent or alleviate the HAART side effects and this reason seems to be related to different
types of CT used (p=0.001): 63.6% in acupuncture group, 35-40% in the other
groups. 38.1% of patients used CT on suggestion of other HIV infected persons,
and 32.9%used CT by yourself decision.
Conclusion: the general results of this study indicate that the most commonly
used types of CT in this population were nutritional supplements and psychophysiological approach. The decision of use one type of CT respect to another
seems not related to age (with exception of patients using homeopathy who were
younger). In our study, half of patients expected these therapies to prevent or alleviate the HAART side effects, and among patients using acupuncture this reason
is the most commonly reported.
Presenting author: Vittorio Agnoletto, LILA, Via Rogoredo 41, 20100 Milan, Italy,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeF6668 Tenderloin acupuncture project: field based data
gathering
C.J. Wilson', M.R. Cohen2. 'Quan Yin Healing Arts Center, Quan Yin Healing
Arts Center, 455 Valencia Street, San Francisco, California, 94103, United
States; 2 UCSF Institute for Health and Aging, San Francisco, California, United
States
Background: Homeless people living in the Tenderloin District, San Francisco,
California (US) face a variety of challenging medical diagnoses and social issues.
This population has a high rate of HIV, substance use, chemical dependency,
Hepatitis B&C, and untreated mental illness. This population has had limited access to acupuncture treatment. The purposes of the project were to investigate
the feasibility of providing acupuncture treatment and to find out if the homeless
population would utilize the acupuncture services.
Methods: During the early months of 2001, free acupuncture treatment was
made available during the morning breakfast program of a Harm Reduction based

service agency in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. Two practitioners provided acupuncture on site at Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center (TARC) two times
a week for an estimated 2.5 hours each week for 6 weeks. Anyone interested in
receiving treatment was treated. Auricular acupuncture, press-on ear seeds, and
a minimal number of body points were used for clients of TARC.
Results: At the end of 6 weeks, 40 unduplicated clients had received a total of
135 acupuncture treatments. 30% of the unduplicated clients came each week

for treatment. The results of the project indicated that the clients of TARC had responded to the ease of accessibility of the acupuncture and had enthusiastically
utilized the service.
Conclusion: Data was successfully gathered showing that acupuncture treatment was feasible and desired in the Tenderloin among double and triply diagnosed clients. Funding for a formal acupuncture pilot project - the Tenderloin
Acupuncture Project-was obtained in the spring of 2001.
Presenting author: Carla Wilson, Quan Yin Healing Arts Center, 455 Valencia
Street, San Francisco, California, 94103, United States, Tel.: [phone],
Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeF6669 The Rio Buddy Project - changes and challenges
in community home care programs
E.T. Santos-Filhol, C.S. Nascimento2, C. Silva'. IGrupo Pela VIDDA-RJ, Grupo
Pela VIDDA-RJ, Av. Rio Branco, 135 gr. 709, Centro, 20040-006 Rio de Janeiro,
RJ, Brazil; 2Grupo Arco-fris de Conscientiza.do Homossexual, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil
Problem: Buddy support programs are community practical and emotional support for PWAs. Created by the beginning of the epidemic, it has been challenged
in countries were anti-retroviral therapies are available, for the considerable reduction in the death rate (40% in average, since 1996, Brazil). Nevertheless, state
provided services cannot fulfill all needs of PWAs. Strategies have to be developed by community organizations, in order to continue offering such support in a
scenario of shrinking budgets and growing resource limitations.
Description: The Rio Buddy Project has identified the following obstacles, along
its five years existence: (i) the lack of understanding by some partners, that emotional and practical support are still needed, as medication do not represent the
cure. (ii) The cost effectiveness of such service, which reduces hospitalization
and helps treatment adherence. (iii) The growing number of PWAs who living in
poverty, who need support to find living alternatives. Thus, the project had to focus its attention in specific help, bringing more objective solution to clients needs;
clarifying the need of such service by need and costs.
Results: For an average of five months of help a year, for US$74.- per
client/month, a continuous service can be offered, helping reducing time of hospitalization (roughly US$1,200,- monthly per patient) and optimizing antiretroviral
therapy adherence. An average of 80 new clients are yearly attended, besides
other 240 family members helped and other 320 people indicated to public health
services. Thirty NGOs from all over Brazil required training on that experience,
which resulted in a national network of home care.
Recommendations: Community home care should not be discontinued as they
(i) improve quality of public services by monitoring; (ii) reduce public expenditures
on (a) hospitalization and on (b) adherence to AIDS treatments (cost-benefits);
and (iii) help PWAs re-start productive life in a shorter time.
Presenting author: Ezio TAvora Santos-Filho, Grupo Pela VIDDA-RJ, Av. Rio
Branco, 135 gr.709, Centro, 20040-006 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, Tel.: +55 21 25
18 39 93, Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
WePeF6670 Antimicrobials effects of traditionnals drugs
against sexually transmitted infectious
F.B. Maqassouba', K. Oulare', H. Ouo Ouo', S.B. Mamadoul, C. Kalil',
D. Mory1, B. Vanden2, A.J. Vlietinck2, A.M. Balde'. 'Centre National de
Recherche et de Valorisation de Plantes Medicinales de Dubreka, 1-Centre
National de Recherche et de Valorisationde Plantes Medicinales de Dubreka,
Guinee, BP: 6411, Dubreka, Guinea; 2Universite dAnvers, Belgium
Background: The sexually transmitted infectious (IST) including AIDS is increesing in Guinea, according to the cares halth centers. A lot of traditionnal
drugs are used against but seldom of them are phytochemical and biological
investigated. This study is carried out to determinate antiviral and antimicrobial
activity of some plants used against IST in the guinean traditionnal medicine.
Methods: The studied drugs were obtained from two traditionnal physicians (R1
and R2), and those (R3) selected from ethnobotanical investigations in Upper
Guinea. They have been submitted at bilogical screening. The antibacterial and
anfungal tests were performed using microtitration and antiviral end point titration
methods. Bacterial and fungal microorganisms used were obtained from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). ADN and ARN viruses were used. Colorimetric assay based on death cells assess due to the toxicity and cytopathic effect
of test-sample, anti-viral assay based on luciferase expression were used as HIV
tests. Therapeutical evaluations were performed at the dermatological service of
the University Hospital Donka, Conakry (Guinea).
Results: Biological screening of R1 and R2 drugs have shown any antibacterial,
antifungal and anti-HIV activities. When tested on patients living with HIV infection, drug R1 has shown any effect against Molluscum contagiosum and Sarcome
of Kaposi. On therapeutical evaluation the drug R3 has shown a significant amelioration on skin opportunist infection in seropositive patient. From several tested

plants, only 7 exhibited an in vitro effect against HIV, these K1 and K2 were the
most active showing selectivity signs >64.
Conclusions: Series of guinean plants traditionally used against IST have shown
either an in vitro anti-HIV activity, or an effect against some opportunist skin diseases infections. The biological and phytochemical investigation of the selected
active plants are in progress.