Introduction
Written by Dr David Wheeler

In the early to late 1990s a medical team in Canada, composed of licensed medical doctors and PhD experts in such areas as cancer epidemiology and pharmacy, began working together in order to find out whether or not essential oils could be used to treat a number of different diseases associated with the immune system. Essential oils have been used traditionally in many cultures for the treatment of disease, and notably for infectious diseases but also for cancer and diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

It is challenging in the current climate of clinical research to develop an authentic, objective clinical study about affecting one specific disease, let alone what the impact is on many different diseases. Over time this Canadian medical team developed a broad perspective about the use of essential oils to treat a number of different diseases associated with the immune system, but they settled on a long term study dealing with one specific disease: HIV infection and AIDS.

They started with in vitro testing to discover which essential oils are the most efficacious for killing viruses, and more specifically HIV. This medical team refined their formula by establishing the ratio of essential oils in relationship to each other and the overall concentration in a base of water. The long term research process this medical team embarked on was to determine the degree of impact this proprietary essential oil formula has on lowering medical markers associated with HIV infection and the signs and symptoms for AIDS.

Although this medical team settled on a combination of two essential oils in specific concentrations, members of this team also used additional essential oils in conjunction with some or all of these two primary essential oils in their ongoing research and product development: vervain, cedar, angelica and pine make up these four essential oils. It was clear from their research that the essential oils involved in producing a proprietary formula must be in exact concentrations for the desired immune system effect to take place.

In addition, this medical research team utilized a special technology to active the solution based on its water content. It was reported by members of this Canadian medical research team that the essential oil formula they developed was much more effective when it was activated with this technology. There are many different methods for enhancing the structure, energy and frequency properties of water.

The outcome of the hospital clinical studies was very promising. There were ten subjects at the beginning of the study and seven subjects actually remained by the end of the study. By the end of the study it was clear that seven of the subjects that continued through the 24 month study had an increase in CD8 cells that stabilized, with five of the subjects benefiting long term after the 24 month study period. In terms of AIDS, there was a meaningful impact on lessening the occurrence of cancer and opportunistic infections in the subjects who were able to stabilize higher levels of CD8 cell counts.

The Canadian medical team that researched and developed this essential oil formula viewed their approach to immune system modulation as meaningful beyond the specific application for HIV infection and AIDS. Although almost all mainstream medical researchers believe that substances are meant to be geared to treating a specific disease or a limited number of diseases, this is not the traditional perspective from cultural medicine systems, which are used to treat a vast array of different diseases.

It is interesting to make a connection between the holistic perspective of cultural folk medicine and the conclusions made by the medical research team conducting a clinical study with a proprietary essential oil formula. In the end this team concluded that there were many applications for this proprietary essential oil formula based on the way in which it changes the immune system.

There has been a significant level of research that points out how HIV disables chemical messages sent by the CD4 cell to the CD8 cell. The CD4 cell is the commander in chief immune system cell that monitors non-self in the body (cancer, microorganisms, toxins, etc.) and sends messages to the appropriate cells to attack and get rid of non-self. The CD8 cell is the killer cell that actually kills HIV in the body. Because of the way in which HIV disables the CD8 cell, it can multiply and destroy CD4 cells. Over time the virus grows in numbers and the level of CD4 cells in the body goes down farther and farther. This scenario leads to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), with the immune system disabled to deal with various disease threats to the body, with even non-threatening bacteria and other microorganisms becoming a serious health problem and inflicting damage. AIDS leads to – among a broader range of health issues – infections, serious inflammatory disease, cancer, autoimmune like conditions, chronic serious gut disease and wasting disease.

One of the proposed mechanisms for this essential oil formula, as detailed in the clinical research section that follows, is based on the capacity of this proprietary essential oil formula to stop the CD4 cell from sending disabling messages to the CD8 cell. In addition, it is highly possible that this essential oil formula stimulates the CD8 to be more aggressive in killing HIV. The combination of these factors may lead to a more robust immune system that can decrease the AIDS consequences of HIV infections.

Based on a thorough literature review, the Canadian research team concluded that the proposed mechanisms for the success of their study on subjects with HIV infection and AIDS would reasonably apply to many other diseases: other chronic infectious diseases, many different types of cancer and leukemia, multiple sclerosis and many other types of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases in general.

Another way of looking at the use of a nontoxic essential oil formula is related to the fact that it is not directly killing HIV and is nontoxic, which is novel when it comes to the drugs used to treat HIV infection and its consequences. Since this proprietary essential oil formula is basically improving immune system function to lower the signs and symptoms of AIDS, such as cancer and other infectious diseases, then it makes perfect sense that there would be applications for the treatment of diseases other than HIV infection and AIDS, as well as having a prophylactic (preventive) effect for protection against many different kinds of disease.

This essential oil formula is non toxic when taken at the standard dosage for the overall formulation (essential oils are mixed with water to produce this formula along with other ingredients, which is briskly shaken in order to create some level of homogenization).Although it is true that taking much higher dosages of essential oils that exceed the amount in the proprietary essential oil formula used in the study, for most people the dosage in this formula should not propose any health risks whatsoever. As an example, there are toxic risks with many vitamins and mineral supplements if they are taken at much higher doses than what is generally recognized as safe. In addition, it must be pointed out that not all essential oils are safe when taken internally, with a warning to readers of this document not to experiment with taking essential oils internally without thoughtful consideration and research.

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Clinical Research and Literature Review
 A Summary written by Dr David Wheeler

The Oils Used as a Pharmaceutical Composition
The Fight Against Retroviruses
Affecting a Broad Range of Pathologies
Clinical Study Results
Conclusion
Bibliography of Literature References


The Essential Oils Used as a Pharmaceutical Composition
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This review and summary for clinical studies and related science references is meant to provide the reader with information of substance based on using a very specific combination of essential oils and their concentrations in the overall proprietary essential oil formula. The clinical study conducted in Canada from 1996 until 1998 was targeted to subjects who had HIV infection and AIDS, but on the other hand it is easy to see how this proprietary essential oil formula applies to other diseases: such as cancer, leukemia, autoimmune disease, other chronic infectious diseases and chronic inflammatory diseases. Although making disease claims for a substance(s) will cause this substance(s) to be defined as a drug according to standards in the United States and other countries, at the same time this essential oil formula is non-toxic and therefore has prophylactic (preventive) application for many different diseases. Therefore, presenting this essential oil formula as a dietary supplement may make more sense in terms of availability to consumers. Based on the proposition that this proprietary essential oil formula will optimize the way in which immune system cells communicate their chemical messages to each other, the outcome is that there will be a much greater capacity for the immune system to deal more effectively with many different disease threats.

In the Canadian in hospital clinical study, a specific combination of essential oils is intended as a pharmaceutical composition, as an anti-HIV and immunomodulatory agent. This composition of essential oils is meant to stimulate the immune system in such a way that it has anti-HIV and associated modulation effects. The composition includes a synergetic association of two or more essential oils based on the use of vervain, cedar, angelica and pine. In addition, this essential oil composition may have important applications in cancer, leukemia, autoimmune diseases and all inflammatory diseases.

The Oil of Vervain

The oil vervain contains total of 63 compounds were identified in hydrodistillates from flowers and leaves of vervain plants [Aloysia triphylla (L'Herit.) Britton] grown in Portugal. The three main essential oil compounds present either in flowers or in leaves were geranial (26.8-38.3%), neral (20.8-29.6%), and limonene (5.7-20.6%). 1-Octene, 1-octen-3-ol, p-cymene, (Z)-β-ocimene, and trans-carveol, identified in the flower oil, were not found in the leaf oil of the same plant. However, p-cymene and trans-carveol were found in the leaf oils of young cultivated plants. On the other hand, β-citronellene, β-pinene, neryl acetate, and trans-calamenene, present in the leaf oils, were not found in the flower oils. The main compound groups and percentages found in oils were monoterpene hydrocarbons (29.9 and 22.3%), oxygen-containing monoterpenes (56.9 and 59.0%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (6.5 and 6.8%), and oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes (3.0 and 4.8%) (flowers and leaves, respectively). The percentage of the total oxygen-containing monoterpenes, especially aldehydes, in the leaf oils of young cultivated plants, increased from July to December in inverse correlation with that of monoterpene hydrocarbons. The comparison with previous studies performed by other authors points to a significant variation in the chemical composition of vervain oil depending from the origin of the plants.

The oil vervain is an aromatic, astringent herb, rich in volatile oils, which has a phytotherapy history of as a calming effect, relieving spasms (especially of the digestive system) while reducing fever. The oil of vervain has a warming, bitter and aromatic herb that acts as a diuretic and expectorant, while increasing topical blood flow. It has a toning effect on the nerves and is strongly antiseptic.

The Oil of Pine  

Essential oil composition of fresh needles from Pinus elliottii (slash pine) and Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine) grown in Mozambique were investigated by a combination of GC and GC/MS. The present investigation revealed the following composition of P elliottii and P. taeda: tricyclene (2.1% and 3.8%), α-pinene (43.0% and 62.3%), β-pinene (27.1% and 7.1%), limonene (2.9% and 2.0%), myrcene (2.3% and 1.8%) and β-phellandrene (1.1% and 3.7%), respectively. Among the oxygenated monoterpenes present, the most significant was α-terpineol (9.6% and 2.3%, respectively).

The oil of pine has often been used for phytotherapy purposes: colds, coughing, flu, rheumatism, sinusitis, general respiratory problems in general, urinary tract disease and loss of memory.

The Oil of Angelica
 
The oil of Angelica is a volatile oil extracted from root or Angelica. The oil of Angelica is obtained from distillation of Angelica roots. The major constituent (more than 25%) of the oil of Angelica is phellandrene. The oil also comprises umbelliferone (also known as 7-hydroxycoumarin); furo [3,2-gj coumarin (also known as psoralen), a-pinene; osthole; bergaptene; limonene; caryophyllene and linalol.

The oil of Angelica is used for the manufacture of liquors. It has been used in the past as an antibacterial, fungicidal, antitussive, expectorant, stimulant, antiflatulent, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, sudorific, emmenagogue, diuretic, anti-rheumatic and sedative agent.

The oil of Angelica has been used to treat a wide variety of disorders like general exhaustion, anemia, flue, coughing, tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, indigestion, digestive atonia, gastric acidity, aerophagy, stomachal and intestinal spasms, enteritis, hepatic disorders, migraine, faintness, impotence, menstrual disorders, leucorrhea, chlorosis, rachitis, scurvy, etc.

The Oil of Cedar

The oil of Cedar is a volatile oil extracted from the Cedar tree. The oil of Cedar is also known as the oil of Cedar Wood and is extracted by distillation of Cedar Wood. Its major constituents are: α-pinene (5.6-23.4%), camphene (0.4-1.8%), myrcene (0.1-2.7%), α- terpineol (0.8-6.7%), β-caryophyllene (6.0-11.4%), α-humulene (1.3-2.3%) and caryophyllene oxide (trace-10.3%).

The oil of Cedar is used in perfumery or as an insect repellant. In phytotherapy, the oil of Cedar Wood has been used as an anti-infectious agent or a stimulant. It has never been reported so far that the oil of Red Cedar has any beneficial effect on the immune system.


The Fight Against Retroviruses
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Considerable efforts are being made towards finding compounds capable of fighting retroviruses, particularly HIV in humans. Since the late 1990s, the use of nucleoside analogs and protease inhibitors have become more common. The idea is for antiretroviral agents to be targeted against HIV infection in humans, which is characterized by progressive deterioration of immune system function. Although not the prevailing approach in medical research, it may be important to restore immunity as a way to effectively combat HIV infection and AIDS – which could be used instead of the standard very toxic therapies that have no rebuilding effect on the immune system. If a non toxic approach is indeed effective in terms of rebuilding the immune system instead of attempting to kill the virus with very toxic substances, this would present a potentially better approach to fighting HIV infection and AIDS.

Strong evidence has been developed for being able to fight HIV based on the study of CD8+ lymphocytes in vitro: Klatzmann, Vilmer, Brun-Vezinet and Montagnier (Paris hospitals and the Pasteur Institute) observed that when CD8+ lymphocytes were co-cultivated with cord blood lymphocytes in the presence of HIV-1 no reverse transcriptase activity was detectable1. These researchers also discovered and noted that when serum samples from different HIV+ subjects were tested, a positive specific staining was observed in the CD4+ but never in the CD8+ fraction.

Jay Levy and team (University of California) also presented important information on the role CD8+ cells play in the body. They demonstrated that CD8+ lymphocytes are able to suppress HIV replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (a dose-dependent effect).2 It was suggested by this team of researchers that an unidentified soluble factor was involved at least in part for this antiviral response.3, 4

Baier and associates at the Paul-Ehrlich Institute reported the following: interleukin-1 6, secreted from activated CD8+ cells, suppresses HIV and SIV replication based on an unknown mechanism.5 The teams of Robert Gallo (Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland) and Paolo Lusso (San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan) presented information supporting that 3 cytokines namely RANTES, MlP-1a and MlP-1 , isolated from CD8+ lymphocytes, reduced the production of a broad range of HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIV strains growing in laboratory cultures6 and also found that a combination of 3 factors had to be present to obtain a much higher degree of inhibition.


Affecting a Broad Range of Pathologies  
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It is well known that CD8+ lymphocytes provide the major role for being antiviral and anti-cancer cell in the immune system12. The following observations should be considered supporting their role in other pathologies:

1. An efficient treatment of different types of cancers has involved Interferons and other cytokines (also called chemokines) that are produced by the CD8+ lymphocytes.
2. Several researchers have identified specific viruses responsible for different types of cancers. The first virus discovery being the HTLV (human T leukemia virus) involved in leukemia (Robert (Gallo, 1979) and one of the latest ones being a herpes virus involved in Kaposi Sarcoma (1995).
3. The team of Riddell and Greenberg restored immunity in immunodeficient humans through the transfer of CD8+ lymphocytes isolated from bone marrow donors, based on the work of a team head up by Riddell and Greenburg, which was carried out at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.15
4. It was discovered that T lymphocytes, particularly the CD8+ lymphocytes, were depressed in different types of mice tumors and in 7 of 12 human cancer patients based on the work of Mizoguchi and Ochoa at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. This team also discovered that when the T lymphocytes are no longer in contact with cancer cells, they return to their normal state. It was suggested that cancerous tumors release a substance that alters the structure of a key molecule on the surface of the T cells of the immune system, and this disrupts their recognition and response to foreign antigens (alteration of T cell receptor signal). This combination of factors can lead to suppression of immune responses.1 6
5. The team of Gaur (Stanford University in California) demonstrated in other experiments it was found that when rats are vaccinated with CD8+ lymphocytes, they did not develop an experimental animal model of multiple sclerosis. The absence of the CD8+ cells did not protect the animals against this experimental disease. This was the work of the team of Gaur at Stanford University, California.17
6. At the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Cancer Research Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, the team of Allison showed that expression on melanoma cells that the costimulatory ligand B7 induced the rejection of a murine melanoma in vivo. The rejection was mediated by CD8+ T cells and that CD4+ T-cells were not required for the noted rejection. The results from these studies suggest that in vivo there was an eradication of tumor cells because of B7 expression rendering effective antigen presentation.18
7. The team of Erard at Ciba-Geigy laboratories in Basel demonstrated that CD8+ lymphocytes, after stimulation of their ligand B7, are capable of rejecting melanoma tumors in mice19.
8. Infusions of CD8+ lymphocytes to 5 patients suffering from lymphoma associated with Epstein-Barr virus led to the complete remission of the tumors in all the 5 subjects within 14 to 30 days of treatment, based on the work of the team Papadopoulos, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, New York.20
9. It was demonstrated that interleukin-2 has strong anti-cancer effects in several patients with advanced metastatic melanoma or renal cell cancer, through the work of the team Steven Rosenberg at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. The anti-tumor effectiveness of Interleukin-2  is mediated by the stimulation of the host immune system, which shows that immunotherapy can beat different forms of cancer.21  
10.  It is suggested by Williams that progress may be made in the understanding of the mechanisms of action of the immune system in order to develop effective immuno-therapies for cancer.22

Conclusion: It has been suggested that CD8+ lymphocytes play a significant role in the control of HIV infection7~12 and might be a key factor for long- term survival.4, 1 1-14 The preceding findings and literature also suggest above findings and literature that the CD8+ cells play an important role in other diseases of the immune system such as different forms of cancer, different forms of leukemia, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases, different immuno-deficient pathologies, other chronic infectious diseases and chronic inflammatory diseases..

Clinical Study Results
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The following data is the result of a two year study evaluating the effects of the above-mentioned proprietary composition of essential oils on the immune system of HlV-infected individuals with fewer than 500 CD4+ cells/mm3.

The selection and follow-up of patients (subjects) involved ten HlV-infected Caucasian men who had been identified as having HIV infection based on the identification of antibodies to HIV by ELISA and confirmation by WESTERN BLOT, The subjects in this study were aged between 31 and 47, with the average age of approximately 37 years. The subjects were enrolled in the study after fulfilling all necessary inclusion criteria. The subjects exhibited the following biological parameters:

1. CD4+ lymphocytes <500 cells/mm3
2.  white cells 22000 cells/mm3
3. hemoglobin 295 g/l
4. granulocytes 21000 cells/mm3
5. platelets 275000 cells/mm3
6.  transaminases S 150 lU/ml
7. creatinine S 1.5 x upper limit of normal

Any subjects who exhibited evidence of severe cardiac, hepatic or renal illnesses, or who were suffering from serious nervous diseases other than those resulting from HIV infection, were excluded.

Those subjects were deemed eligible for the study had not been administered any antiretroviral or immuno-modulatory agent for at least 30 days prior to treatment.

The ten subjects, respectively, had the following CD4+ lymphocyte counts at the onset of treatment: 422, 403, 386, 333, 251, 210, 192, 189, 79 and 76 cells/mm3. First the study received approval by the Hospital's Ethics Committee. Subsequently, the volunteering subjects provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Another important component of this study involved a complete clinical evaluation of each patient, which involved an exhaustive medical examination and laboratory tests. This was completed before the study was initiated.

All subjects were closely monitored at the beginning and at the 15th and 30th days after starting treatment. Subsequently, monitoring was completed once every month till the 10th month, and then every 30 to 90 days subsequently.

Lymphocyte and white cell counts were performed on an XL flow cytometer (Coulter Electronics, Hialeah, FL) (Il). Administering the proprietary essential oil formula was orally by mouth, taken as a liquid, a freshly prepared solution every 30 days. The product was stored at room temperature. The dosage was 5 ml bid for the first 2 months, 5 ml tid between the 3rd and 8th months, 15 ml bid from the 8th month to the 18th month, and 15 ml tid subsequently.

Statistical comparisons were made on pretreatment, approximately 6 month and 12 month measures of the various immunologic parameters studied, using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by multiple comparisons based on the Tukey B method.

All analyses were interpreted at a=0.05 level.

Five immunologic markers were used to assess the effects of the proprietary essential oil formula on the immune system: CD4+, CD8+ and CD3+ cells, total lymphocytes and white cells.

As demonstrated by ANOVA, the CD4+ cell count increased between the first day of the first month and the last day of the sixth month, but returned to baseline at the last day of the twelfth month. Generally, the group showed a significant elevation of CD8+ lymphocytes between the first day of the first month and the last day of the sixth month. This gain was maintained between the sixth month and the last day of the twelfth month (F=4.90; p=0.02). For CD3+ lymphocytes, the group displayed a significant increase between the first day of the first month and the last day of the sixth month and remained stable between the sixth month and the last day of the twelfth month (F=7.30; p=0.016). Total lymphocyte count augmented significantly between the first day of the first month and the last day of the sixth month and remained stable between the sixth and twelfth months (F=10.6; p=0.006). Finally, no statistically significant variation was observed in the group between the three measures of white cells (F=1.08; p=0.36).

The long-term effects of administering the proprietary essential oil formula:

1. After 24 months of treatment, values were not available for subjects 7 and 10, as they voluntarily abandoned the project after 9 and 18 months respectively.
2.  Individually, 8 patients showed a significant increase (>10%) of CD8+ cells after 6 months of therapy.
3. After 12 months of treatment, this increase was still significant in 7 subjects, and after 24 months of, it remained significant in 5 patients.

Stimulation of CD8+ cells had clinical relevance: the 5 subjects (patients 2,4,5,6 and 8) whose CD8+ stimulation was sustained after 24 months of therapy with the proprietary essential oil formula were the ones who showed the most clinical benefits: 

1. There was only a single new opportunistic infection (a herpes zoster episode) occurred among them during the first 2 years of treatment.
2. In addition, during this period, there was only 1 death in the group: patient 7, who abandoned the project after 9 months of treatment, died 20 months after initiation of therapy.
3. The drop of CD8+ cells in patient 3 at 24 months was largely attributed to aggressive chemotherapy following the development of a lymphoma. Previous to this incidence, his CD8+ count was 1705 cells/mm3 at 21 months, which represented a significant increase compared to baseline.
4. No side-effects were observed at therapeutic doses of the proprietary essential oil formula.
   

Conclusion
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It is clear from the study results that the proprietary essential oil formula administered in the clinical study mentioned above is a potent stimulant of CD8+ lymphocytes. This study illustrates in HlV-infected individuals that this proprietary essential oil formula is capable of stimulating in a significant and sustained manner over 24 months of therapy a  way to stimulate the production of CD8 cells without manifesting any side effects. It is readily apparent from the clinical study that CD8+ lymphocyte stimulation induced by administering the proprietary essential oil formula seems to play a key role in the control of HIV infection and in the clinical benefits observed.

It is proposed the following hypotheses are meaningful when it comes to explaining the role of what is know about CD8+ cells on their role in HIV disease as it pertains to the referenced to the clinical study involving the proprietary essential oil formula:

1. In the course of immune responses directed against HIV, stimulation of CD8+ lymphocyte production is a key factor in the control of HIV infection.
2. CD8+ cells seem to have a strong antiviral activity capable of partially neutralizing HIV through a virolytic effect, which is in addition to their immuno-regulatory properties (direct cytolysis or secretion of suppressive factors) and/or a virostatic action (inhibition of viral replication).
3. , It seems logical that CD*+ cells seem to eliminate part of the virus present in peripheral blood, which means that the antiviral activities of CD8+ lymphocytes are particularly important during the asymptomatic phase of HIV infection and play the role of a protective hematologic barrier, confining the virus principally to the lymph nodes. Throughout the asymptomatic phase this anti-HIV activity of CD8+ cells is durable and continues persistently. Also, very important is that CD8+ cells seem to play a major but partial protective role against the destruction of CD4+ cells by HIV.
4. The long-term failure of the anti-HIV and immunostimulant effectiveness of CD8+ cells might be directly related to the development of opportunistic infections and progression to ARC and AIDS. This could result from one or several of the following phenomena: a)  the appearance of viral mutations and the emergence of highly pathogenic viral strains resistant to immune responses and particularly cytopathic to CD8 + and CD4+ lymphocytes; b) the long-term failure of the antiviral properties of CD8+ lymphocytes, involving direct loss of their lytic power to shut down HIV and/or indirect mechanisms (reduction or abolition of the secretion of cytokines which elicit anti-HIV properties) d)  the decline of CD8+ cell capacity to engender an efficient immune response of cellular mediation;  e) the disruption of release by the immune system of chemical mediators necessary for the activity of CD8+ lymphocytes.
5. Furthermore, in part as a consequence of a progressive decrease of the antiviral effectiveness of CD8+ lymphocytes and the corresponding decline of their protective role, it is believed that this causes a drop in CD4+ cells. This leads ultimately to the final collapse of the immune system.
6. A decrease in CD8+ cells appears to cause a drop in CD4+ cells, although the inverse appears to be less predominant as an unlatching factor. Via the release of specific factors (interleukin 2 and/or other cytokines), which stimulate the functions of CD8+ cells CD4+ lymphocytes, might also potentiate the antiviral effects of CD8+ lymphocytes. Therefore, a sharp decrease in the number of CD4+ cells in the advanced or terminal stages of HIV disease could contribute to the disruption of responses related to cellular immunity and more particularly to the loss of beneficial effects of CD8+ lymphocytes. This suggests a close interdependence between CD4+ and CD8+ cells (cross-regulation of CD4+ CD8+) and the existence of a threshold characterized by a critical number of CD8+ and CD4+ cells, below which the destruction and collapse of the immune system become irreversible.
7. The emergence of pathogenicity may be due to the loss of anti-HIV activity by CD8+ lymphocytes, which decrease their ability to contain HIV in ganglionary stocking sites, allowing release of the virus into the general circulation. The early destruction of CD4+ cells during primary infection may be explained by this hypothesis about CD8+ cells: HIV at this stage would be able to multiply at a high rate in the presence of few activated lymphocytes. It is only when a critical threshold has been reached that the immune system mobilizes CD8+ cells. Following mobilization, CD8+ lymphocytes might go from a passive state to a state of stimulation characterized by an anti-HIV capacity which could explain the inversion of the CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio. An increase in the number of CD lymphocytes would then reflect an attempt by the immune system to control HIV, restricting the drop in CD4+ lymphocytes and the resultant organic damages.
8. Finally, the greater the impairment of the immune system (illustrated by a lower number of CD4+ lymphocytes) could explain the reason why it becomes more difficult to restore immunologic functions of the immune system.

Hence, upon reading the proposed hypotheses of the role of CD8+ cells in HIV- infection, it is obvious that prolonging the asymptomatic phase is crucial for a better evolution of HIV diseases and other immune diseases. The proprietary essential oil formula administered in the early stages of HIV infection would most likely allows a more efficient neutralization of the AIDS virus and, more importantly, to stop the destruction of vital elements of the immune system.

This study seems to confirm that persistent high levels of activated CD8+ cells are a strong predictor of extended survival and a key factor for a long asymptomatic phase in HlV-infected subjects. In view of all these observations, the proprietary essential oil formula that was used in the above mentioned clinical study may also be used to treat other infectious diseases and/or immune diseases and/or neoplasic diseases. It can also be used to prevent these diseases. It is therefore considered both as a therapeutic and/or a prophylactic agent for different types of diseases.


Bibliography of Literature References
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1. Klatzmann D, Barre-Sinoussi F, Nugeyre MT et al. Selective tropism of lymphadenopathy associated virus (LAV) for helper-inducer T lymphocytes. Science 1984; 225: 59-63.

2. Walker CM, Moody DJ, Stites DP, et al. CD8+ lymphocytes can control HIV infection in vitro by suppressing virus replication. Science 1986; 234:1563-1566.

3. Walker CM, Levy JA. A diffusible lymphokine produced by CD8+ T lymphocytes suppresses HIV replication. Immunology 1989; 66: 628-630.

4. Levy JA.Pathogenesis of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Microbiol Rev 1993; 57: 183-289.

5. Baier M, Werner A, Bannert N, et al. HIV suppression by interleukin-16. Nature 1995; 378: 563.

6. Cocchi F, DeVico AL, Garzino-Demo A, et al. Identification of RANTES, MlP-la, and MIP-I as the major HlV-suppressive factors produced by CD8+ T cells. Science 1995; 270:1811-1815.

7. Levy JA. Mysteries of HIV: challenges for therapy and prevention. Nature 1988; 333: 519-522.

8. Lang W, Perkins H, Anderson RE, et al. Patterns of T lymphocyte changes with human immunodeficiency virus infection: from seroconversion to the development of AIDS. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 1989; 2: 63-69.

9. Chen CH, Weinhold KJ, Bartlett JA, et al. CD8+ T lymphocyte-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 long terminal repeat transcription: a novel antiviral mechanism. Aids Res Hum Retroviruses 1993; 9: 1079-1086.

10. Rowland-Jones S, Sutton J, Ariyoshi K, et al. HlV-specific cytotoxic T-cells in HIV exposed but uninfected Gambian women. Nature Med 1995; 1: 59-64.

11 .Cao Y, Qin L, Zhang L, et al. Virologic and immunologic characterization of long- term survivors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. N Engl J Med 1995; 332: 201-208.

12. Ben Amar M. Les immunomodulateurs. In: Mise à jour de la situation du SIDA. Edited by R. Morisset and P. Ghadirian. Quebecor, Montreal, 1995; 387-408.

13. Levy JA. HIV in AIDS pathogenesis and long-term survival.

14. 12th International Congress of Pharmacology. Montreal, Quebec, Canada, July 24- 29, 1994 (Summary PL.1 published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology vol. 72, supplement 1. page 3, July 1994).

15. Montagnier L. Histoire d'une maladie. In: Des virus et des hommes. Editions Odile Jacob; Paris; 1994: 83-110 15.Riddell SR, Watanabe KS, Goodrich JM, et al. Restoration of viral immunity in immunodeficient humans by the adoptive transfer of T cell clones. Science 1992; 257: 238-240
.
16. Mizoguchi H, O'Shea JJ, Longo DL, et al. Alterations in signal transduction molecules in T lymphocytes from tumor-bearing mice. Science 1992; 258: 1795- 1798.

17. Gaur A, Haspel R, Mayer JP, et al. Requirement for CD8+ cells in T cell receptor peptide-induced clonal unresponsiveness. Science 1993; 259: 91-93.

18. Townsend SE, Allison JP. Tumor rejection after direct costimulation of CD8+ T cells by B7- transfected melanoma cells. Science 1993; 259: 368-370.

19. Erard F, Wild MR, Garcia-Sanz JA, et al. Switch of CD8 + T cells to noncytolytic CD8+ CD4+ cells that make TH2 cytokines and help B cells. Science 1993; 260: 1802-1805.

20. Papadopoulos EP, Ladanyi M, Emanuel D, et al. Infusions of donor leukocytes to treat Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoproliferative disorders after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. N Engl J Med 1994; 330: 1185-1191.

21. Rosenberg SA Yang JC Topalian SL et al. Treatment of 283 consecutive patients with metastatic melanoma or renal cell cancer using high-dose bolus interleukin-2. JAMA 1994; 271: 907-913.

22. Williams N. An immune boost to the war on cancer. Science 1996; 272: 28-30.

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