X-Delivery-Notice:  SMTP MAIL FROM does not correspond to sender.
Organization: Stat Gateway Service, WB7TPY
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.mednews
Date:         Sun, 20 Dec 1992 09:30:14 MST
              <MEDNEWS@ASUACAD.BITNET>
From:         David Dodell <david@STAT.COM>
Subject:      HICN506 Newsletter Part 3/4

Hydrolysate, Racemethionine, Sulfur, Tannic Acid, Zinc Acetate, Zinc
Carbonate.

  C) Fever Blister and Cold Sore Treatment Drug Products -

Bismuth Subnitrate, Boric Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sulfur, Tannic Acid,
Topical Starch, Trolamine, Zinc Sulfate.

  D) Insect Bite and Sting Drug Products -

Alcohol, Alcohol (Ethoxylated Alkyl), Ammonia Solution (Strong), Ammonium
Hydroxide, Benzalkonium Chloride, Camphor, Ergot Fluidextract, Ferric
Chloride, Menthol, Peppermint Oil, Phenol, Pyrilamine Maleate, Sodium Borate,
Trolamine, Turpentine Oil, Zirconium Oxide.

  E) Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac Drug Products -

Alcohol, Anion And Cation Exchange Resins (Buffered), Benzethonium Chloride,
Benzocaine, Benzyl Alcohol, Bismuth Subnitrate, Bithionol, Boric Acid,
Camphor, Cetalkonium Chloride, Chloral Hydrate, Chlorpheniramine Maleate,
Creosote, Diperodon Hydrochloride, Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride, Eucalyptus
Oil, Ferric Chloride, Glycerin, Hectorite, Hydrogen Peroxide, Impatiens
Biflora Tincture, Iron Oxide, Isopropyl Alcohol, Lanolin, Lead Acetate,
Lidocaine, Menthol, Merbromin, Mercuric Chloride, Panthenol, Parethoxycaine
Hydrochloride, Phenol, Phenyltoloxamine Dihydrogen Citrate, Povidone-
Vinylacetate Copolymers, Salicylic Acid, Simethicone, Tannic Acid, Topical
Starch, Trolamine, Turpentine Oil, Zirconium Oxide, Zyloxin.







Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 28
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

              PHS ADVISORY ON PERSISTENT VAGINAL FUNGAL INFECTION
              ---------------------------------------------------

                    FDA News Release P92-33, Nov. 16, 1992
                 FDA Contact: Monica Revelle - (301) 443-4177

  The U.S. Public Health Service today advised women that frequent or
persistent cases of vaginal fungal infections known as "yeast" infections or
vaginal candidiasis may sometimes be an early warning of HIV infection.

  HHS Assistant Secretary for Health James Mason, M.D., who heads the Public
Health Service, said most of the 13 million cases of vaginal candidiasis that
occur annually do not have HIV as an underlying cause.  "Pregnancy, diabetes,
contraceptive pills and antibiotics are commonly linked to these fungal
infections," he said.

  "But any woman at risk for AIDS," Dr. Mason continued, "should be aware of
the possibility that recurrent or stubborn cases of vaginal candidiasis
sometimes may be an early sign of infection with the human immunodeficiency
virus, HIV, that causes AIDS -- and should check with a doctor. That is the
purpose of this statement -- and of new labeling for nonprescription drugs for
vaginal candidiasis."

  According to recent studies, recurrent or stubborn cases of vaginal
candidiasis are the most frequent initial clinical manifestation of HIV
infection in women. One study showed that of women diagnosed with HIV-caused
immunosuppression, 38 percent suffered recurring or persistent cases of
vaginal candidiasis as their first symptom.

  "Having this information in hand," said Food and Drugs Commissioner David A.
Kessler, M.D., "the agency has requested that manufacturers of nonprescription
drugs for vaginal candidiasis include a new label warning that women who may
have been exposed to HIV infection and who experience recurrent or persistent
cases of vaginal yeast infections seek professional medical attention
promptly."

  Miconozole nitrate, marketed under the name brand Monistat-7, and
clotrimazole, marketed as Gyne-Lotrimin, Mycelex-7 and FemCare, are sold
without prescription for treatment of vaginal candidiasis in patients who have
had a previous episode of vaginal candidiasis diagnosed by a physician. The
labeling of these products already states that recurrent infections may result
from hormonal changes or use of oral contraceptives or antibiotics.

  The additional warning will state: "In women with frequently recurrent
vaginal yeast infections, especially infections that don't clear up easily

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 29
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

with proper treatment, the vaginal yeast infections may also be the result of
serious medical conditions, including infection with HIV, that can damage the
body's normal defenses against infection."

  "Women should be made aware through all available sources that if they are
experiencing recurrent vaginal yeast infections within a two-month period or
if their infections don't clear up with proper medical treatment, they should
see their doctor for professional diagnosis and treatment," Dr.  Kessler said.
"In view of the growing epidemic of AIDS among women, it is important that
they be alert to possible early HIV infection."

  Women who need further information on risk factors for HIV infection or
testing for HIV infection should contact their physician or the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention National AIDS Hotline at 1-800-342-AIDS. CDC
hotline numbers are also available for Spanish speaking (1-800-344-7432) and
for the hearing impaired, (TDD 1-800-243-7889).





























Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 30
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
                                    Columns
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 HHHHHH   HHHHHH   HHHHHH          H    H   HHHHHH   H     H   HHHHHH
 H        H        H               HH   H   H        H     H   H
 H        HHHHH    HHHHHH   HHHH   H H  H   HHHH     H  H  H   HHHHHH
 H        H             H          H  HHH   H        H  H  H        H
 HHHHHH   H        HHHHHH          H   HH   HHHHHH    HHHHH    HHHHHH


            Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Electronic Newsletter

 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 No. 10                   December 10, 1992             Washington DC
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

                         AMPLIGEN IN CANADA


        CONTENTS

 >>>1.  Ampligen in Canada
 >>>2.  Health policy talks with Clinton transition team
 >>>3.  Delay in Alberta drug study
 >>>4.  Medical publications update


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 >>>1.  Ampligen in Canada

The Canadian government has authorized, on an emergency basis, a very
limited distribution of Ampligen to patients with severe cases of
CFS, according to HEM Pharmaceuticals Corp. which developed and holds
the patent on Ampligen.  The government has also approved a clinical
trial of Ampligen in Canada.  Ampligen is a double-stranded
ribonucleic acid (RNA) compound which has shown promise in earlier
studies for treatment of CFS (see CFS-NEWS #9).  In Canada, CFS is
known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

To qualify for the emergency distribution, a maximum of 200 eligible
CFS/ME patients will undergo diagnostic evaluations at medical
centers to be selected jointly by the government and HEM.  The
identity of these centers will not be available before mid-January,

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 31
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

and will then be published in CFS-NEWS.  The Canadian clinical trial
will be similar to the U.S. Phase II/III study that was authorized by
the FDA in October.  The medical centers which will conduct the
Canadian studies have not been selected yet, but will be located in
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

[Information for this article provided by HEM Pharmaceuticals
Corporation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.]


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 >>>2.  Health policy talks with Clinton transition team

Members of the CFIDS Association's Public Policy Advisory Committee,
along with Dr. David Bell and lobbyist Tom Sheridan, are meeting this
week with President-elect Clinton's transition team in Washington to
discuss U.S. health care policy with respect to CFS.  The timing of
the meeting is fortuitous as the transition team is beginning to
focus on health issues.

[Information provided by Dave Patterson of the CFIDS Association.]


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 >>>3.  Delay in Alberta drug study

The drug trial undertaken by Dr. J. Van Aerde in Alberta, Canada for
a CFS remedy has been expanded and prolonged, and results are now
expected to be released in the spring or summer of 1993.   The trial
had previously been expected to yield results in November of this
year.  (An initial report about this study appeared in CFS-NEWS #3.)
The study has been expanded to include more patients.  The unnamed
drug is currently licensed to treat conditions other than CFS, and
Dr. Van Aerde will identify the drug when the full results of the
current study are released.  The study is being undertaken in the
city of Edmonton; previous news reports had mistakenly placed it in
Calgary.

[Information provided by the office of Dr. J. Van Aerde.]


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 32
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

 >>>4.  Medical publications update

[The following was contributed by Mr. Steve Clancy.  He is the sysop
of the Wellspring BBS which is a service of the Biomedical Library of
the University of California at Irvine.]

This CFS UPDATE is a review of the current medical literature  on
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is presented as a public service by the
Wellspring RBBS.  The presence or absence of any information in this
review should not be taken as  advocating one method of treatment
over another, and should not be construed as providing medical advice
or diagnosis.  The references may be taken from various  sources  and
should be used for educational purposes only.  Databases accessed may
include the MEDLINE online database produced by the National  Library
of Medicine, as well as other online and print  sources.  This
listing is NOT a complete review, but represents a selection.
Further information may be obtained from your local medical library.

 STEVE CLANCY, M.L.S., WELLSPRING RBBS (714) 856-7996
                                       (714) 846-5087
                                       (714) 725-2700
 ********************************************************************
 12/9/92


1. Murdoch JC.
     Chronic fatigue syndrome. A review from the general practice
     perspective.
   Australian Family Physician, 1992 Aug, 21(8):1205-6.

2. Prescott E; Norrgard J; Rotbol Pedersen L; Danneskiold-Samsoe B.
     Fibromyalgia and magnesia [letter].
   Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, 1992, 21(4):206.

3. Cho WK; Stollerman GH.
     Chronic fatigue syndrome.
   Hospital Practice (Office Edition), 1992 Sep 15, 27(9):221-4,
   227-30, 233-6 passim.

4. Sharpe M; Hawton K; Seagroatt V; Pasvol G.
     Follow up of patients presenting with fatigue to an infectious
     diseases clinic.
   Bmj, 1992 Jul 18, 305(6846):147-52.

5. Behan WM.

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 33
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

     Muscles, mitochondria and myalgia [editorial].
   Journal of Pathology, 1992 Mar, 166(3):213-4.


 ===================================================================
 CFS-NEWS is an independent newsletter edited by Roger Burns in Wash
 ington D.C. and is distributed on the Fidonet CFS echo, on Internet
 and thru the USENET Newsgroup bit.listserv.cfs.newsletter.  Back
 issues are on file on the CFIDS/CFS BBS in Maine USA at telephone
 1-207-623-8486 in file area H.  Suggestions and contributions of
 news may be sent via Internet to CFS-NEWS@LIST.NIH.GOV, or via Fido
 NetMail to CFS-NEWS at 1:109/432, or post a message to the CFS echo
 or to newsgroup alt.med.cfs.  Patients should read the resource file
 CFS-RES.TXT available on the BBS mentioned above and elsewhere.
 Copyright (c) 1992 by Roger Burns.  Permission is granted to excerpt
 this document if the source (CFS-NEWS) is cited.  Permission is also
 granted to reproduce the entirety of this document unaltered.  This
 notice does not diminish the rights of others whose copyrighted
 material may be quoted herein.  Note that Fido and Fidonet are
 registered marks of Tom Jennings and Fido Software.
 ===================================================================

INTERNET users are encouraged to obtain the RESOURCE file and other
CFS files at the NIH file server.  To obtain the resource file, send
Internet e-mail to the address SERVER@CU.NIH.GOV with the subject
line GET FTP CFS.RESOURCE (the message text is ignored).  Or log in
via anonymous ftp to cu.nih.gov or 128.134.64.7 with password=guest,
directory=CFS, filename=RESOURCE.  Distribution of CFS-NEWS on the
Internet is sponsored by the NIH Computing Utility; however, this
independent newsletter does not represent the views of the National
Institutes of Health.  To subscribe, send the command SUB CFS-NEWS
<your> <name> to the address LISTSERV@NIHLIST.BITNET or @LIST.NIH.GOV
         CFS-NEWS is also posted to the CFS echo on Fidonet.
=====================================================================











Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 34
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

                         AIDS Daily Summary

The Centers for Disease Control (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


 "Argus Pharmaceutical Pursues 'Sneak-Attack' AIDS Drug" Journal of
Commerce (12/07/92), P. 9A

     Argus Pharmaceuticals of Houston, Texas, has developed a patented
biomedical agent that evades the body's defense mechanisms and  allows
patients to combat AIDS or cancer.  The company uses its  biomedical
technology to implant its potent drug inside the  body's lipids, which are
organic compounds containing fats and  other substances found in the membrane
of every cell.

"Patient's Failure to Tell of AIDS Is Going on Trial as Fraud  Suit" Wall
Street Journal (12/07/92), P. B6  (Lambert, Wade)

     A lawsuit that could change the way health-care workers care for  AIDS
patients is scheduled to begin today in state court in Los  Angeles, Calif.
The lawsuit involves a surgical technician who  has accused a patient of fraud
for not revealing that she had  AIDS before the technician was nicked by a
scalpel that had been  exposed to the patient's HIV-positive blood.  While in
recent  years public attention has focused on whether health-care workers must
disclose their HIV-status to patients, this case is  apparently the first to
argue that patients have a duty to inform their doctors and nurses.


"Facility for AIDS, TB Patients Opens" Chicago Tribune (12/04/92), P. 1-7

     Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County, Ill., has opened a 214-bed  facility
specifically for the treatment of AIDS and tuberculosis  patients.  A total of
84 long-term patients were moved to the new facility on Tuesday.  Cook County
Board President Richard Phelan  said, "Once [the hospital] is fully
operational, the new facility will enable the county to expand its capacity
for treating AIDS  and TB patients.  This new facility will allow Cook County
to  better manage these two serious diseases."  Oak Forest Hospital  is the
only licensed chronic disease hospital in Illinois, and  plays an important
role in caring for people with serious  long-term conditions.

"AIDS Clinical Trial to Go Ahead" Science (11/20/92) Vol. 258, No. 5086, P.

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 35
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

1298  (Cohen, Jon)

     The long-awaited trial of an immune preparation that may prevent  HIV-
positive women from transmitting the virus to their infants  is finally
getting back on track.  The trial was originally  scheduled for July but was
canceled when Abbott Laboratories--the sole manufacturer of HIV hyperimmune
globulin (HIVIG)--insisted  that the company be completely protected from any
lawsuits that  might emerge from the use of the treatment.  The threat of a
lawsuit alleging violation of the contract caused Abbott to  relinquished its
rights to HIVIG, and two other groups are  competing to supply material for
the test.  The National  Institutes of Health and three dozen locations around
the country had worked with Abbott for more than two years to design the
HIVIG trial.

 "Extreme Measures Needed to Curb Resurgence of Tuberculosis, Specialists Say"
Baltimore Sun (12/08/92), P. 12A

     Aggressive efforts are needed to deal with the recent nationwide
resurgence of tuberculosis, said a panel of experts yesterday. Required
measures could even include a mandatory quarantine for uncooperative patients.
The disease, which was believed to be under control a decade ago, now
threatens to become epidemic in the United States, the group said.  Certain
populations, like immigrants, children, hospital patients, the homeless, AIDS
patients, and prisoners, are at greatest risk of contracting TB.

"Bombay--Epicenter of Disaster" Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition
(12/08/92), P. A4 (Drogin, Bob)

     The AIDS case rate in India is rapidly increasing dramatically, and could
establish Bombay as the worldwide epicenter for the deadly disease.  Due to
widespread prostitution, IV-drug use, and contaminated blood supplies, India
has developed an AIDS epidemic that is virtually out of control, according to
Dr. I.S. Gilada of the Indian Health Organization.  At least 35 percent of
Bombay's prostitutes are HIV-positive, said the World Health Organization.
That is up from 3 percent in 1988.  Currently, India has confirmed 10,730 HIV
infections and 238 full-blown cases of AIDS. However, experts say that a far
greater number of cases are misdiagnosed and unreported.  WHO and Indian
officials publicly predict that 500,000 to 1 million Indians are HIV-positive
and some experts put the figure much higher.  Also, the International Congress
on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific reported last month that at least 3 million
Indians will be HIV-positive and 179,000 will have AIDS by 1996.  By the end
of the decade the number will more than double.  In India, the first AIDS case
was not reported until 1986, whereas in Africa the disease was found in the
early 1980s.  But an ambitious $100 million, five-year effort to fight AIDS in
the country is just starting.  The plan is to develop a network of 1,000

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 36
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

centers across the country over five years to detect and treat AIDS patients,
and to thwart the spread of the disease through coordinated public education,
health care, and blood screening programs.

 "AIDS Drug From Kenya to be Tested by NIH Unit" Washington Times (12/09/92),
P. A1  (Barras, Jonetta Rose)

     The controversial AIDS drug ImmuViron has received endorsements  from the
American medical establishment to undergo clinical  trials.  However, it did
not go unnoticed by Washington, D.C.'s  public health chief Dr. Mohammad
Ahkter.  The National Institute  of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
has decided to  develop a study for performing clinical trials of ImmuViron,
which is known as Immunex and is a derivative of the drug Kemron, discovered
in Kenya.  But unlike other AIDS drugs, the Food and  Drug Administration has
not approved ImmuViron for mass  distribution, even though it can be legally
imported for use by  individual patients.  Some say that ImmuViron does not
cure AIDS  or provide the relief of AIDS-related symptoms claimed by those
who have administered it.  Nevertheless, AIDS advocates and  researchers say
the drug is worth being on the market even if can save just one life.  They
contend that ImmuViron and Kemron have  been discriminated against because
they are not drugs developed  by the "traditional white America" medical
community.  A total of 15 physicians and researchers are scheduled to meet
today to plan the FDA study.

"More Experimental Drugs Will be Available Quickly" Philadelphia Inquirer
(12/09/92), P. A4  (Vernaci, Richard L.)

     The Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that it  would soon
make more experimental drugs available quickly if they exhibit promise of
treating fatal or disabling diseases.   Therefore, the rules, under
consideration for months, could be  enacted in about 30 days.  FDA
Commissioner David Kessler said  yesterday, "Accelerated approval, conditional
approval, these  were innovations built upon the agency's commitment to
provide  access to experimental drugs for those dying of life-threatening
disorders."


"Insemination of HIV-Negative Women With Processed Semen of  HIV- Positive
Partners" Lancet (11/28/92) Vol. 340, No. 8831, P. 1317   (Semprini, Augusto
E. et al.)


     Women who wish to become impregnated with their HIV-positive  partner's
sperm can avoid infection, write Augusto E. Semprini et al. of the University
of Milan Medical School in Milan, Italy.   The researchers found that previous

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 37
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

testing in our laboratory  showed that gradient centrifugation followed by a
swim-up  procedure effectively removed HIV-1-infected cells from the semen of
HIV-seropositive men.

"High HIV Rate Found in Women in Florida District" Wall Street Journal
(12/10/92), P. B6  (Chase, Marilyn)

     A total of one out of every 20 pregnant women in a prenatal  clinic in
rural Florida tested positive for HIV, producing an  alarmingly high infection
rate that researchers believed stemmed  from heterosexual transmission.  The
study is published in this  week's issue of the New England Journal of
Medicine and was  conducted by Ted Ellerbrock of the  Centers for Disease
Control,  John Witte of the Florida State Department of Health, and their
colleagues.  The report emphasizes that growing numbers of AIDS  patients are
women, especially young minority women.

 "Federal Panel Approves Condom for Women; Orders Label Change" Washington
Post (12/11/92), P. A2  (Gladwell, Malcolm)

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel yesterday approved for use in
the United States  the female condom, the first birth control device for women
designed to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.  The FDA obstetrics
and gynecology devices  panel had announced in January that it would be
willing to grant  approval of the device if its manufacturer completed
clinical  testing of the product and modified its label.  But yesterday the
panel ruled that if the company made modifications to the way it  explained
the effectiveness of the condom in preventing disease  and pregnancy, the
device should be available for market.  Final  FDA approval usually comes
within weeks or months after the  advisory panel recommendation.  Officials at
Wisconsin Pharmacal  Co., the condom's manufacturer, said they expected to
have their  product on the market by next summer or fall at a cost of between
$2.25 and  $2.50.

"Potassium Hazard Seen in AIDS Drug" Science News (12/05/92) Vol. 142, No. 23,
P. 398

     A certain AIDS drug used to treat pneumocystis carinii pneumonia  can
also elevate potassium in the blood, creating a condition  called
hyperkalemia.  The drug trimethoprim (TMP) has caused as  many as 53 percent
of hospitalized AIDS patients to develop mild  to moderate hyperkalemia.
Michael J. Choi, Thomas R. Kleyman,  and Pedro C.  Fernandez of the Veterans
Administration Medical  Center in Philadelphia report that they have
discovered the  cellular mechanism that causes this side effect.  In addition,
they have observed an AIDS patient treated with TMP whose  hyperkalemia
reached the point of "medical emergency," said Choi. He suggests that this

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 38
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

case should make physicians aware of the  possible life-threatening
consequences of using massive doses of  TMP to treat pneumocystis carinii
pneumonia.  In general, TMP  does not elevate potassium concentrations to
harmful levels.   However, a large number of AIDS patients already experience
hyperkalemia caused by kidney failure or hormone deficiencies.   For such
patients, treatment with TMP could increase the  potassium in their blood to
dangerous levels, causing heart cells to fire erratically and even bringing on
cardiac arrhythmia, said Choi.

 "Hemophilia Drug Gains Government Approval" Journal of Commerce (12/15/92),
P. 7A

     The federal government last week granted approval of Genetics  Institute
Inc.'s genetically engineered drug to treat hemophilia. The drug, called
Factor VIII, is the blood-clotting protein that  is absent in 15,000 to 17,000
hemophiliacs in the United States  with an equal number in Europe and slightly
fewer in Asia.   Gabriel Schmergel, Genetics Institute president, said, "It
has  taken us 11.5 years and $200 million to reach this day."

"In the Nation: Experts Put AIDS Cost at $15 Billion by '95" Baltimore Sun
(12/15/92), P. 8A

     The cost of treating HIV-positive Americans could increase about  48
percent, to $15.2 billion a year, by 1995, health experts told a Senate panel
yesterday.  Fred Hellinger, a financing specialist with the U.S. Public Health
Service, said, "The widespread use of expensive drugs has contributed to the
high costs of treating  persons with HIV."  Approximately a million Americans
are  infected with HIV and 250,000 have been diagnosed with AIDS.   Among
those AIDS patients, 160,000 have died.  Hellinger said  that the number of
newly diagnosed AIDS patients could reach  97,000 by 1995.

"Britain--AIDS Virus" Associated Press (12/11/92)  (Epstein, Randi Hutter)

     London--HIV can hide inside pre-ejaculatory fluid in men, as  well as
infecting semen, according to two studies of HIV-positive men  published in
the Dec. 12 Lancet.  Dr. Peter Schlegel, co-author  of one of the studies and
associate professor of urology at New  York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center,
said, "Many men believe  oral sex without ejaculation is completely safe.
That is clearly not the case based on the potential infectivity of this
fluid."   The second study was conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical
School and Boston University's School of Public Health.  Both  studies do not
suggest the risk of contracting HIV by contact  with pre-ejaculatory fluid.
But author of the second study Dr.  Jeffrey Pudney of Harvard urged additional
research.   Pre-ejaculatory fluid "is produced during sexual stimulation
before intercourse, so placing a condom on the penis earlier may  be important

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 39
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

to prevent contact with this fluid, not just at the  time of intercourse,"
said Schlegel.  He added, "We're not  talking about a lot of fluid, but a
small amount of it may be  important."  The Cornell researchers investigated
pre-ejaculatory fluid from 14 men with AIDS and two men without the virus.
They  discovered HIV and white blood cells in the fluid of six of the  14 men
with AIDS.  Neither was present in the two HIV-negative  men.  Pudney examined
12 samples of pre-ejaculatory fluid from  nine men with HIV and 11 samples
from six uninfected men.  His  team discovered HIV in pre-ejaculatory fluid
from six of nine  infected men but not in any samples from the uninfected men
used  as controls.

 "Program in Africa Curbs Spread of AIDS" Baltimore Sun (12/16/92), P.  8A

     Health-care workers in Rwanda are controlling the heterosexual  spread of
HIV by targeting young women with education and testing programs.  The effort
could serve as a model for U.S. inner  cities.  Rwanda has one of the world's
highest rates of AIDS.   According to researchers from the University of
California--San  Francisco, nine out of ten deaths are caused by AIDS, and
almost  one third of urban adults are HIV-positive.  In the study  published
in today's Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers
examined 1,458 women ages 20 to 40 who enrolled  in  a prevention program in
1988 in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.  The program offered confidential HIV
testing, viewing of a  35-minute educational video, and group discussions
afterward.   All of the subjects received regular physician examinations,
condoms and spermicides, and invitations for male partners to be  tested and
counseled.  As a result, condom use rose from 7  percent to 22 percent in one
year among all of the women's  partners.

"Heterosexually Transmitted Human Immunodeficiency Virus  Infection Among
Pregnant Women in a Rural Florida Community" New England Journal of Medicine
(12/10/92) Vol. 327, No. 24,  P. 1704  (Ellerbrock, Tedd V.  et al.)

     An alarmingly high rate of HIV that most likely resulted from
heterosexual transmission was found among several pregnant women  in a rural
Florida community, write Tedd V. Ellerbrock et al. of  the Centers for Disease
Control in Atlanta, Ga.  The researchers  interviewed and tested 1,082 of
1,084 consecutive pregnant women  who registered for prenatal care at a public
health clinic in  western Palm Beach County, Fla.  The rate of HIV infection
was  5.1 percent (52 of 1,011 women).  Black women who were neither  Haitian
nor Hispanic had the highest rate of infection.  Only 4  of 1,009 women (0.4
percent) reported ever injecting drugs, and  all 4 were HIV-negative.  But 14
of 43 users of "crack" cocaine  (33 percent) had HIV infection.  A total of
131 of 983 women (13  percent) tested positive for gonorrhea, chlamydial
infection, or  syphilis at prenatal registration.  Mulivariate  logistic-
regression analysis found HIV infection to be  independently associated with

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 40
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

having used crack cocaine, having  had more than two sexual partners, being
black but neither  Hispanic nor Haitian, having had sexual intercourse with a
high-risk partner, and testing positive for syphilis.  But 11 of  the 52 HIV-
positive women (21 percent) reported a total of only  two to five sexual
partners and no known high-risk partners, had  never used crack cocaine, and
had no positive tests for sexually  transmitted diseases.  The increasing rate
of HIV and the  increasing prevalence of syphilis and use of crack cocaine
indicate that other women may be at similar risk of contracting
heterosexually transmitted HIV, the researchers conclude.

"Chemical Briefs: Study Links AIDS, Failure of TB Drugs" Journal of Commerce
(12/17/92), P. 7A

     Several AIDS patients previously believed to be co-infected with  the
drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis, may actually be unable to absorb the
medicine, according to a study published in the New England Journal of
Medicine.  Researchers from the National  Jewish Center for Immunology and
Respiratory Medicine in Denver,  Colo., say they treated an man with AIDS
whose TB reappeared  because he could not absorb the medicine, not because the
TB had  become resistant.  Shaun E. Berning led the group and said that
because intestinal disease is common among HIV-positive patients, the patients
should be tested to ensure the dose of the drug is  high enough for the
medicine to be effective.


 "Simian Tests Raise AIDS-Vaccine Hope" New York Times (12/18/92), P.  A30
(Altman, Lawrence K.)

     An experimental vaccine has completely protected six rhesus monkeys
against the simian form of HIV infection for more than three years, making it
the strongest and longest lasting of any AIDS-related vaccine, according to a
report published in today's issue of Science.  The research was led by Dr.
Ronald C. Desrosiers of the New England Regional Primate Research Center in
Southborough, Mass.  Federal health officials who funded the experiments
considered the finding "a significant advance" in the search for a human
vaccine to protect against HIV.  The monkey vaccine contains live simian
immunodeficiency virus (SIV), the virus that causes an AIDS-like disease in
monkeys, from which a key gene was removed.  The research involved the
deletion of a gene known as nef from SIV and then injecting the virus in the
monkeys.  The function of the nef gene is unknown.  When nef-deleted SIV is
used in test tube experiments, the virus reproduces and harms cells.  But
Desrosiers said he was surprised to find that injection of the nef-deleted SIV
did not harm the monkeys.  The research led him to question whether nef-
deleted SIV could be used as a vaccine.  He began the research by injecting
nef-deleted SIV into six monkeys who stayed healthy after two and a quarter

Health InfoCom Network News                                            Page 41
Volume  5, Number  6                                         December 20, 1992

years.  Dr. Desrosiers said that the new findings could lead to the first
safety tests of such a vaccine on human volunteers in two years.  Dr. Anthony
S. Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, said scientists at his institute are "extremely enthusiastic about
the possibilities" of Dr. Desrosiers' findings.  Related Stories: Washington
Post (12/18) P. A1; USA Today (12/18) P. 1A; Philadelphia Inquirer (12/18) P.
A1; Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (12/18) P. A1; Baltimore Sun (12/18)
P. 1A; Washington Times (12/18) P. A8

"AIDS: Sperm Washing" Newsweek (12/21/92) Vol. 120, No. 25, P. 8

     An Italian physician has developed a new technique that may provide
couples in which the male is HIV-positive with a chance to have a child with
no risk of HIV transmission to the baby. Dr. Augusto Semprini of the
University of Milan "washes" sperm by spinning cells in a  centrifuge:
heavier, HIV-infected sperm settle at the bottom while HIV-free cells swim at
the top. Already, 10 uninfected babies have been conceived through this
process.

"TB's Return" Time (12/21/92) Vol. 140, No. 25, P. 25

     Due to the combination of the AIDS epidemic and breakdowns in public
health services, the rate of tuberculosis has escalated 25 percent since 1984,
when 22,000 cases were reported in the United States.  Physicians from the
American Lung Association and the  Centers for Disease Control now suggest a
series of more  aggressive countermeasures to thwart a general outbreak of TB,
--------- end of part 3 ------------

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