SELENIUM IN THE MAINTENANCE AND THERAPY OF HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS

Due to its antiviral effects and its importance for all immunological functions, the administration of selenium is suggested as a supportive measure in early as well as in advanced stages of HIV-induced disease . Initial observations on the effects of selenium supplementation in H IV-infected patients indicate that selenium causes symptomatic improve ments and possibly slows the course of the disease. As selenium inhibi ts reverse transcriptase activity in RNA-virus-infected animals, suppl emental selenium could also prevent the replication of HIV and retard the development of AIDS in newly HIV-infected subjects. An adequate su pply of selenium and of antioxidant vitamins is also proposed as a mea sure to reduce the probability of the placental transmission of HIV in pregnancy.