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Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) that binds to the coreceptor CCR5 (R5 viruses) can evolve into viruses that bind to the coreceptor CXCR4 (X4 viruses), with high viral replication rates governing this coreceptor switch. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) treatment of HIV-1 infected patients has been found to slow the depletion of CD4+ T cells. This study assessed whether the KRG-associated slow depletion of CD4+ T cells was associated with coreceptor switching.

Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract has been shown to have beneficial effects in patients with atherosclerosis, suggesting that KRG extract may be effective in preventing subsequent ischemic stroke in patients with severe atherosclerosis.

We have reported that internal deletions in the nef, gag, and polgenes in HIV-1–infected patients are induced in those treated with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG). KRG delays the development of resistance mutations to antiretroviral drugs.

We have reported that defective nefand gaggenes are induced in HIV-1–infected patients treated with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG).

To date, no study has described disease progression in Asian patients infected with HIV-1 subtype D.

Long-term ginseng intake can increase longevity in healthy individuals. Here, we examined if long-term treatment with Panax ginsengMeyer (Korean Red Ginseng, KRG) can also enhance survival duration (SD) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.

The presence of gross deletions in the human immunodeficiency virus nefgene (gΔnef) is associated with long-term nonprogression of infected patients. Here, we investigated how quickly genetic defects in the nefgene are associated with Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) intake in 10 long-term slow progressors.

The number of primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 non-B subtype infections (non-B) and that of reports regarding the differences in the pathogenesis of subtype B and non-B infections are increasing. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports on gross deletion in the nefgene (gΔnef) in non-B infections.

ABSTRACTThe hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a continuing threat to public health. The systemic administration of interferon alpha with ribavirin is the only currently approved treatment. However, this treatment is associated with a wide spectrum of systemic side effects that limits its effectiveness; thus, there is an urgent need for new treatment modalities. In this study, we describe a novel anti-HCV strategy employing a recombinant transcription factor that we have engineered in such a way that NS3/4a viral protease controls its intracellular localization, thereby restoring interferon secretion specifically in cells infected with HCV. Proof-of-concept experiments validated the strategy, showing that the recombinant transcription factor was triggered to stimulate interferon promoter by NS3/4A and remained inactive in cells without NS3/4a. Using an adenovirus-associated viral vector delivery system, we found that the recombinant transcription factor inhibited HCV replication effectively in vitroin cultured cells.

ABSTRACTTo determine whether Korean red ginseng (KRG) has beneficial effects on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients administered highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we analyzed the CD4 T-cell count, viral load, and resistance mutations to HAART in 46 individuals. Thirteen patients harbored resistance mutations at baseline. The study population was divided into two groups: specifically, a group treated with a combination of HAART plus KRG (23 patients) and a group treated with HAART alone (23 patients). The annual increase in CD4 T-cell count in the combination group was significantly higher than that in the group treated with HAART alone (P< 0.05). Overall, 21 patients harbored resistance mutations after 3 years of therapy. Following exclusion of 13 patients displaying baseline resistance mutations, 7.1% of patients (1/14) in the combination group and 42.1% (8/19) in the HAART group were identified with resistance mutations. One patient with baseline resistance mutations in the combination group did not display resistance mutations 3 years after HAART therapy. High-level resistance mutations were significantly lower in the combination group than in the group treated with HAART alone. Five patients showed no improvement in viral copy number (26.3% [5/19]) in the combination group and 9 (45.0% [9/20]) showed no improvement in the HAART-only group. Our data support the clinical utility of KRG intake during HAART therapy.

ABSTRACTWe have previously showed that long-term intake of Korean red ginseng (KRG) delayed disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected patients. In the present study, to investigate whether this slow progression was affected by KRG intake alone or in combination with HLA factor, we analyzed clinical data in 68 HIV-1-infected patients who lived for more than 5 years without antiretroviral therapy. The average KRG intake over 111.9 ± 31.3 months was 4,082 ± 3,928 g, and annual decrease in CD4 T cells was 35.0 ± 28.7/µl. Data analysis showed that there are significant inverse correlations between the HLA prognostic score (0.29 ± 1.19) and annual decrease in CD4 T cells (r= -0.347; P< 0.01) as well as between the amount of KRG intake and annual decrease in CD4 T cells (r= -0.379; P< 0.01). In addition, KRG intake significantly slowed the decrease in CD4 T cells even when influence of HLA class I was statistically eliminated (repeated-measure analysis of variance; P< 0.05). We also observed significant correlation between KRG intake and a decrease in serum-soluble CD8 antigen level (r= 0.62; P< 0.001). In conclusion, these data show that KRG intake independently and significantly affected the slow depletion of CD4 T cells irrespective of HLA class I.

ABSTRACTA nested PCR and direct sequencing methods were used to define human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) reverse transcriptase codons 41 to 219 in DNA from 127 peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples obtained from 35 patients treated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI). The follow-up period after the initiation of NRTI therapy was 61.8 ± 31 months (mean and standard deviation). In addition to NRTI therapy, 32 of 35 patients were simultaneously treated with Korean red ginseng. The annual decrease in the CD4+T-cell count over 5 years was 13.2/µl. Twenty-eight (80%) of the 35 patients had mutations conferring resistance to NRTI. The frequencies of K70R, T215S/Y/F (i.e., mutation of T at codon 215 to S, Y, or F), D67N/E, K219Q, T69N/S/A, M41L, and L210W mutations conferring resistance to zidovudine were 57.6, 36.4, 36.4, 27.2, 24.2, 21.2, and 12.1%, respectively. Mutations conferring resistance to didanosine and lamivudine were detected in 2 (L74V and M184I; 14.2%) of 11 patients tested and in 4 (M184V; 57%) of 7 patients tested, respectively. In particular, the frequency of T69N/S/A increased sharply after more than 48 months of zidovudine monotherapy. However, Q151M was not detected. As the first report on the frequency of NRTI resistance mutations in Korea, our data suggest that genotypic antiretroviral drug testing should be considered for the design of better drug regimens to improve the management of HIV-1-infected patients.