IN A first of its kind study, a young Durban doctor has found that HIV infection is not only limited to the immune system, but also affects how the skin functions.
Dr Navlin Naidoo in conjunction with the Department of Dermatology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, conducted research on the skin barrier, particularly those of paediatric patients who are infected with HIV.
Naidoo said he would be submitting the data at the 23rd International Aids Conference next year as it was important towards understanding HIV and therefore the fight against it.
“This knowledge is not limited to people living in South Africa but the greater International community at large. I will also be presenting this research at the dermatology conference in Cape Town in September later this year,” he said.
Recently, he presented this research at the International Youth Summit for young professionals, the Global Youth Advancement Summit, hosted by the University of Michigan in the US.
“The significance of this research is that now we understand the relationship between HIV and its relationship to the skin better.
“We now understand that HIV alters the skin barrier, the body’s direct defence against the external environment, and compromises it, making these patients susceptible to various skin conditions,” he said.
Naidoo said pharmaceutical companies could use this research and develop better products for HIV patients.
“Furthermore, this study may now form the guidelines to test different racial groups and not be limited to only our black African population.
“I intend to conduct further studies using bigger groups across different races. I also intend on publishing this data in the Paediatric Dermatology journal soon,” he said.