Core Tip: Researchers have then found that HIV-infected people are vitamin deficient. The study found that vitamins increase the level and activity of anti-inflammatory cytokines, which enhance immune function. Experts have long speculated that multivitamin supplementation could slow the process of HIV infection, and that multivitamins are a low-input anti-HIV infection drug. Now, a study by U.S. scientists confirms this speculation. Researchers selected 1,078 HIV-infected pregnant women in Tanzania for a randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Patients were given vitamin A and multivitamins separately along with antiviral therapy, and were followed for an average of 71 months using survival analysis research methods. Comparison with patients supplemented with placebo showed that patients treated with multivitamins had a significantly lower risk of progression to advanced disease and death, as well as a significantly higher risk of other complications (such as opportunistic infections), significantly higher CD4 and CD8 cell counts, and significantly lower viral loads. The study also found that treatment with vitamin A alone had no such effect. In fact, early on, researchers found that HIV-infected patients were vitamin-deficient. It was found that vitamins increase the level and activity of anti-inflammatory cytokines, thereby enhancing immune function. HIV replication is dependent on oxidative stress, and vitamin C and vitamin E in multivitamins are antioxidants that can reduce viral replication and viral load. For HIV infection, there is still debate as to when to start antiviral therapy. The criteria set by the WHO are: CD4 cells below 350/mm3, serum viral load above 55,000/mm3 or the development of AIDS-related symptoms. However, in many developing countries where HIV patients do not have easy access to antiviral drugs, this study found that multivitamin use in HIV-infected patients can slow disease progression, delay initiation of antiviral therapy, significantly save on treatment costs, and reduce the incidence of antiviral drug-related side effects. Therefore, experts recommend that multivitamins be given to all HIV-infected patients before they go on antiviral therapy.