NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/sci/med/aids/2152

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Subject: CDC Summary 12/21/92
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                        AIDS Daily Summary
                         December 21, 1992
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement
by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization.
Reproduction  of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be
sold.  Copyright 1992, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD

 "Drug May Help Slow Progression of AIDS, Early Studies Suggest" Wall
Street Journal (12/21/92), P. B7
     The onset of AIDS may be slowed by the drug thymopentin when  used
in combination with AZT, according to Immunobiology Research  Institute,
a Johnson + Johnson unit.  The data on thymopentin,  also known as TP5,
is currently being discussed by the company  and the Food and Drug
Administration.  Marcus Conant, a San  Francisco AIDS physician, said
the study followed the progress of 173 patients who received AZT plus
TP5, and 179 who were  administered AZT plus a placebo.  Patients were
subsequently  observed for development of AIDS, from a state of being
asymptomatic to AIDS-related complex (ARC), from ARC to AIDS, or  from
AIDS to death.  Dr. Conant said that after 48 weeks three  people in the
TP5 group had worsened, while 16 people in the  control group had
worsened.  A company spokesman said TP5 is a  synthetic hormone that
imitates the active portion of the natural hormone thymopoientin, which
is believed to incite the body's  immune system.  The drug, which is
given as an injection three  times a week, has the advantage of low
toxicity in patients who  receive it, said Dr. Conant.  Tests are
continuing on TP5 in an  attempt to determine whether giving the immune-
booster can, in  fact, stabilize patients.  The early findings are
promising, but  far from conclusive, said Dr. Conant.

"Obituaries: Clara Hale, 87, Ran Home for Drug and AIDS Babies"
Washington Times (12/21/92), P. B2
     Clara Hale, 87, who operated a home for the treatment of  drug-
addicted and AIDS babies, died Dec. 18 of complications from a stroke.
Known as "Mother Hale," she was commended by public  figures including
John Lennon and Former President Ronald Reagan. As recently as two
months ago, Hale had continued to treat some  of the children sheltered
in her modest five-story Harlem home,  said John Winkleman, spokesman
for Hale House.  She began her  career that made her a symbol of
nurturing and child care when  she was 64 years old and ready to retire.
Hale's treatment of  the children was done simply, with no formal
training and with  hands-on care and love.  The Hale House was started
by accident.  Hale's daughter Lorraine was driving in Harlem in 1969
when she  saw a drug-addicted women seated on a crate with a baby on her
lap.  The woman was in a drugged trance and was in danger of  dropping
the child.  Lorraine Hale, who is now president of Hale  House, said,
"In a great act of impetuousness, I got out of the  car.  I lectured her
and told her to take the baby to my mother." The following day, Clara
Hale called Lorraine and said, "There's  a junkie at my door and she
says you sent her."  Clara Hale  nursed the child through withdrawal and
told the mother there was no charge for the care.  The news spread
quickly, and within six  months Hale was treating 22 drug-addicted
babies.

"AIDS Victim Ricky Ray Remembered as "Beautiful Soul"" United Press
International (12/19/92)
     Sarasota, Fla.--Ricky Ray, the 15-year-old hemophiliac who died  of
AIDS, was remembered by family and friends as a "beautiful  soul that
has touched our lives."  A letter from President-elect  Bill Clinton was
delivered to Ray's parents by Sen. Bob Graham  (D-Fla.).  Clinton had
telephoned Ricky while he was in the  hospital last month to show his
support.   The letter said in  part, "The pains and trials that you and
your children have  experienced have helped all Americans to show more
understanding  and less bigotry about AIDS."  The Rev. James Martin,
minister of administration at First Baptist lamented "an ongoing of this
beautiful soul that has touched our lives and has touched the  lives of
people around our world."  Ray died early Sunday Dec. 13 at the family
home in east Orange County after a six-year battle  against AIDS.  He
and his two hemophiliac brothers, Robert, 14,  and Randy, 13, were
diagnosed with HIV infection in 1986 while  living in Arcadia, Fla.
They are believed to have contracted HIV through contaminated blood
transfusions.  Robert and Randy are  not yet exhibiting outward signs of
the disease, said Dr. Jerry  Barbosa, chief of pediatrics at All
Children's Hospital in St.  Petersburg.  Local officials in Arcadia
banned the brothers from  attending school in 1986.  But the parents
sued and a federal  court ordered officials to allow them to take
regular classes.   Other students' parents boycotted the school for a
week, and an  arsonist destroyed the Ray home in 1987.

"Mother Teresa: Don't Treat AIDS Patients as Lepers" United Press
International (12/18/92)
     New Delhi, India--Mother Teresa, of Calcutta, called for  worldwide
compassion for AIDS patients on Friday, claiming it was unjust to treat
them like lepers.  Mother Teresa, winner of the  1979 Nobel Peace Prize
told the Rotary Club in New Delhi, that  AIDS patients need love and
compassion and it was unfair to  condemn them.  The Roman Catholic nun
said that negative  attitudes toward patients of leprosy have gone
through a radical  change and said it is time that myths about AIDS also
are  eliminated.  She urged people to pray for those who suffer in the
world.  "Prayer will generate faith and with faith will flow the  stream
of love, which in turn will culminate in service to  mankind," Mother
Teresa said.

"Three-Headed Dog From Hell" Washington Post (12/21/92), P. A21
(Califano, Joseph A.)
     The new president and Congress can take significant steps in
preventing, treating, and researching AIDS, tuberculosis, and  substance
abuse, according to Joseph A. Califano Jr., president  of the Center on
Addiction and Substance abuse at Columbia  University and former
secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1977 to 1979.  The
combination of AIDS, substance abuse, and new drug-resistant strains of
TB threatens every person and fetus in America--and brings the country
to the brink of the most  dangerous public health crisis in its history.
Fueled by the  AIDS crisis and by substance abuse, TB is reemerging in
inner  cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San
Francisco, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington.  Among children,  the
rate of TB infections has risen 40 percent.  And in indigent
populations, TB rates are worse than those of the poorest  countries in
sub-Saharan Africa.  What is most alarming of this  public health crisis
is that each of these killers and cripplers  encourages others to be
more detrimental and difficult to  prevent, control, and treat.  By
sharing needles and trading sex  for drugs, and through promiscuous and
unprotected sex by  children that are high, substance abuse has become
the prime  culprit in the spread of HIV infection.  Moreover, people
with  weakened immune systems are more apt to contract TB, but harder
to diagnose.  The funding of AIDS, TB, and drug prevention is
insufficient.  Also, the small amounts the U.S. spends on  psychological
and social research explain why we know so little  about how to prevent
self-destructive behavior, concludes  Califano.

"Neuronal Loss in Symptom-Free HIV Infection" Lancet (12/05/92) Vol.
340, No. 8832, P. 1413   (Everall, Ian et al.)
     Clinical cognitive abnormalities are very rare in asymptomatic
HIV-positive patients, write Ian Everall et al. of the Institute  of
Psychiatry at De Crespigny Park in London, U.K.  The  researchers
estimated neuronal density in the superior frontal  gyrus of 14 HIV-
positive patients and 15 HIV-negative controls.   All were IV-drug users
and none had HIV-linked neuropathology.   The mean neuronal numerical
density for the HIV group was 488  (94) compared with 479 (78) for the
controls (not significantly  different).  The numerical densities were
not significantly  related to age in either the HIV group or the
controls.  Neuronal numerical density is a function of nerve-cell number
and tissue  volume.  Although principle cell density could remain
constant in the face of neuronal loss due to parallel tissue shrinkage,
this  appears unlikely.  When these types of abnormalities are found,
they are often subclinical and do not predict progression to  clinical
dementia.  Explanations of the mechanism of neuronal  loss in AIDS
include a neurotoxic effect on the envelope  glycoprotein gp120, which
is thought to be effected through  activation of calcium channels linked
to the N-methyl-D-asparate  (NMDA) receptor, and possibly neuronal
vasocactive intestinal  polypeptide receptors.  Even though decline in
neuronal number is a potential indicator of HIV-related dementia, it
characteristically develops in late stage HIV disease and not  when
there are no exhibiting symptoms of AIDS, conclude the  researchers.

"Detection of HIV-1 DNA Sequences in Pre-Ejaculatory Fluid" Lancet
(12/12/92) Vol. 340, No. 8833, P. 1469   (Ilaria, Gerard et al.)
     A significant proportion of HIV-1 positive men will have
detectable levels of HIV-1 DNA sequences in pre-ejaculatory  fluid,
write Gerard Ilaria et al. of the New York  Hospital-Cornell Medical
Center in New York, N.Y.  The  researchers conducted a study involving
14 HIV-1-positive men and 2 HIV-negative controls who provided pre-
ejaculatory fluid  specimens.  The specimens consisted of 100-500 ul
viscous fluid  with white blood cells (WBC) and occasional epithelial
cells, but no spermatozoa, although no man was azoospermic.  Specimens
from  6 of the 14 men (43 percent) tested repeatedly positive for HIV-1
DNA sequences in pre-ejaculatory fluid.  Negative controls tested
repeatedly negative.  Mean age and serum CD4 counts were not
significantly different for men who tested positive or negative  for
HIV-1 DNA sequences in pre-ejaculatory fluid.  Ejaculated  semen is
produced by the prostate, seminal vesicles, vasa  deferentia,
epididymides, and testes, whereas pre-ejaculatory  fluid is produced by
the urethral and bulbourethral glands.  The  role of these glands is
unknown, but may be related to prevention of urogential infection--
suggested in part by the finding of  lymphoid cells in the mucosa of the
bulbourethral glands.   Seminal fluid contains measurable amounts of
HIV-1 DNA and RNA,  thought to be predominantly linked with WBC fraction
as well as  cell-free seminal fluid.  The anatomical source of HIV-
positive  WBC in seminal fluid is unknown.  The researchers conclude
that  the WBC in pre-ejaculatory fluid contributes to HIV-1
transmission.

"Invasive Haemophilus Influenzae Infections in Men With HIV  Infection"
Journal of the American Medical Association (12/16/92) Vol. 268,  No.
23, P. 3350  (Steinhart, Rachel et al.)
     Men with HIV infection or AIDS are susceptible to invasive
Haemophilus Influenzae infections, including H influenzae b, but  such
infections are still rare in this population, write Rachel  Steinhart et
al. of the University of California--Berkeley.  The  researchers
conducted a study of all men aged 20 to 49 residing  in San Francisco
with invasive H influenzae disease.  During the  3-year time period from
January 1, 1989 through December 31,  1991, there were 17 men who
qualified for the study.  In all 17  patients, H influenzae was
recovered from blood.  Among the 17  patients, 16 either had AIDS or
were known to be infected with  HIV, yielding annual cumulative
incidence rates for invasive H  influenzae infections among men with
AIDS, HIV-infected men  without AIDS, and all HIV-positive men of 79.2,
14.6, and 22.7  per 100,000, respectively.  However, only 33 percent of
cases  were due to serotype b.  The corresponding rates for invasive H
influenzae b disease were 11.3 and 7.6 per 100,000.  The  researchers
conclude that rates of invasive H influenzae disease  they observed in
HIV-positive men, particularly those with a  prior AIDS-defining illness
is approximately 100 times the rate  of invasive H influenzae disease
previously reported in all  adults.

"Court OK's Payout Cuts on AIDS Claims" Advocate (12/15/92) No. 618, P.
22  (Coward, Cheryl)
     The Supreme Court's refusal to hear a Houston firm's decision to
cut AIDS-related payouts under a self-insured employee health  care
program may result in other self-insured firms making  similar
reductions, according to activists.  Suzanne Goldberg, an attorney for
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (LLDEF),  which represented the
plaintiff in the case, Greenberg v. H+H  Music Co., said, "By refusing
to hear this case, the Court leaves employers free to avoid paying for
benefits they have promised to employees."  The case involves former H+H
Music employee John  McGann, who filed a lawsuit against the company in
1989 after it  cut its maximum payout for AIDS-related claims from $1
million to $5,000.  McGann died last year, but the lawsuit has been
carried  out by Frank Greenberg, the executor of McGann's estate.
Donald  White, a spokesman for the Health Insurance Association of
America, said the ramifications of the court's refusal apply only to the
defendant, a small "very atypical" company that chose to  self-insure
its employee health plan.   James A. Kinder,  executive vice president
for the Self-Insurance Institute of  America, a trade group, said the
cutback was legal under the  Employee Retirement Income Security Act
(ERISA), a 1974 law that  permits firms to self-insure employee health
care plans.  Carisa  Cunningham, a spokeswoman for the AIDS Action
Council, a lobbying group, said that her group will lobby Congress for
changes in  ERISA.