Elan Corp. plc of Ireland is testing a steroid as a possibletherapeutic in AIDS.

In preliminary clinical trials in San Francisco, the steroiddehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is being given to 23 HIV-infected men. The steroid, made by the adrenal gland, has beenfound at decreased levels in men who progressed to AIDSsymptoms. A study reported in this month's issue of theJournal of Infectious Diseases found the statistical link betweenDHEA and disease progression.

It is still unclear whether the steroid is simply a marker of thedisease or if it could play a role in countering the immunedecline.

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