Double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of homoeopathic medicines in HIV infection

Abstract

A 6 month study comprising of a Double-blind Placebo-controlled trial of homoeopathic medicines in HIV/AIDS under 2 separate schemes (I) Asymptomatic HIV infection and (II) Persistent generalised lymphadenopathy (50 subjects each) was undertaken from June 1995 to February 1997. As soon as a subject had undergone 6 months of study, they were put on an indicated medicine. Unblinding of the schemes was done only when the last subject had undergone 6 months of study. Changes in the CD4+ T cell numbers in each case before, during and after completion of the study, was taken as the main criterion to assess the outcome of the treatment. Preliminary studies in Scheme I after unblinding, show practically no significant difference in changes in number of CD4+ T cells in subjects of both the placebo and the medicine group. Studies in Scheme II after unblinding, show a significant improvement in CD4+ cell numbers (Upward trend) in the subjects of the medicine group compared to the placebo group. Significantly, after 6 months of study, 5 subjects of the placebo group under Scheme II and 4 from Scheme I with an initial downward trend of CD4+ T cell, have shown an increase in CD4+ T cell count after administration of the indicated homoeopathic medicine in a period of 15–30 days. The study confirms a positive role of homoeopathic medicines in improving immune status of HIV/AIDS patients.