From: Billi Goldberg <bigoldberg@igc.apc.org>
Subject: CDC Summary 9/14/92
Note: Copyright 1992, Dan R. Greening. Non-commercial reproduction allowed.
Archive-Number: 6184
Organization: unspecified
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 23:23:37 PDT

                          September 14, 1992 
 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 
******************************************************************************
"Albert Sabin Finds AIDS Vaccine Work on Wrong Track" United Press 
International (09/12/92)
     Washington--Current attempts to find a cure for AIDS are  misdirected 
because of the unique nature of HIV, and a new  technique is necessary to 
combat the deadly disease, a new report said.  Albert Sabin, a famous 
microbiologist who helped discover  a cure for polio, wrote the report to be 
published in the  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Friday.  
In  it, Sabin said no AIDS vaccine currently under development is  worth being 
tested on humans.  "  Currently, more than a dozen  experimental AIDS vaccines 
are being tested, and researchers have reported a variety of promising results 
suggesting they may offer protection against HIV infection.  Sabin said 
studies analyzing  the efficacy of the experimental AIDS vaccines in monkeys 
have  been conducted by vaccinating the animals and subsequently  injecting 
them with virus.  But, said Sabin, that method was  insufficient for 
evaluating the efficacy of a vaccine because  humans are most commonly exposed 
to virus that is already inside  cells, such as blood cells or semen cells.  
Studies have  demonstrated vaccines that appear to protect against direct  
injection of virus fail to protect against infection by cells  containing 
virus, said Sabin. 

 "AIDS Nears Epidemic Rate in India" Washington Post (09/14/92), P. A1  
(Anderson, John Ward and Moore, Molly)
     The rate of HIV-infection in South Asia could rival the rampant  spread 
of the virus in Africa by the end of the decade, with the  number of adults 
with HIV projected to increase to about 15  million by the year 2000.  The 
current estimated number of  HIV-positive South Asians is 6 million.  India 
exemplifies how  AIDS can spread rapidly in impoverished countries, where the  
poorest people often turn to prostitution or selling their blood  on the black 
market just to make ends meet.  In addition, the  devastation of poverty and 
the availability of heroin help spread drug abuse.  Health authorities state 
that more than one-third of Bombay's 100,000 prostitutes are believed to be 
HIV-positive.   Random tests suggest that as many as half of the IV-drug users 
in some areas of the nation have contracted HIV.  More than 1  million people 
in India may currently have HIV, and the  government's response is "lagging 
far behind the problem,"  according to a recent report by the U.S. State 
Department.  Much  like Africa, India's attempts to educate its people about 
the  disease have been impeded by long-standing cultural taboos, the  
powerlessness of women, and a general unwillingness to discuss  sexuality in 
public.  In addition, as much as 85 percent of  India's blood supply is not 
tested for HIV, and the country has  no laws prohibiting prostitutes or paid 
blood donors from  continuing their trades if they are discovered to be HIV-
positive. 

"Japanese Struggle to Develop Drug to Fight AIDS Virus" Journal of Commerce 
(09/14/92), P. 9A
     Pharmaceutical companies and drug industry experts do not expect  
Japanese researchers to have success in finding a cure for AIDS  any time in 
the near future.  Japanese companies find substances  they believe will combat 
HIV every year, but only a few of these  make it through the rigorous 
laboratory tests needed to proceed  to clinical trials.  Daiichi 
Pharmaceutical Co. and Johnson and  Johnson of New Brunswick, N.J., have 
finished the first phase of  clinical tests for DR-3355 in the United States, 
an official for  Daiichi's international medical development division said.  
The  company says that DR-3355, an anti-bacterial drug, can eradicate  HIV 
that has infected T-cells.  But Daiichi has experienced  difficulties in 
explaining to the U.S. Food and Drug  Administration exactly how and why DR-
3355 destroys HIV.  This  process is necessary to proceed to the next phase of 
clinical  trials.  Meiji Milk Products Co., Japan's second-largest dairy  
products company, also expects to start clinical trials on M-HDA, a substance 
it claims can kill HIV-positive cells with very few  harmful side effects.  
The FDA gave permission to the  food-processing company Ajinomoto Co. in July 
to start clinical  trials on its curdlan sulphate, which can prevent HIV from  
invading T-cells and has few adverse effects.  Experts, however,  say Japanese 
firms are having trouble making breakthroughs in  AIDS research because their 
research scale and budgets are very  small compared with U.S. and European 
firms. 

"Anthony Perkins, Star of 'Psycho' and All Its Sequels, Is Dead at 60" New 
York Times (09/14/92), P. D10  (Myers, Steven Lee)
     Anthony Perkins, the actor who starred in dozens of films and  plays, 
died of AIDS at age 60 this Saturday at his home in  Hollywood.  Perkins was 
best known for his role as the psychopath Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's 
classic thriller "Psycho,"  although he started his career as Hollywood's next 
teen idol.  A  press agent, Leslee Dart, speaking on behalf of the actor's  
family, said that as Perkins progressed in his illness last week  he wanted to 
talk about his condition.  He said, "I chose not to  go public about this 
because, to misquote 'Casablanca,' 'I'm not  too much at being noble, but it 
doesn't take much to see that the problems of one old actor don't amount to a 
hill of beans in this crazy old world.'"  He added, "There are many who belive 
that  this disease is God's vengeance, but I believe it was sent to  teach 
people how to love and understand and have compassion for  each other."  
Perkins said, "I have learned more about love,  selflessness, and human 
understanding from the people I have met  in this great adventure in the world 
of AIDS than I ever did in  the cutthroat, competitive world in which I spent 
my life."

"Ashe Preparing for 'Any Eventuality'" United Press International (09/13/92)  
(Varin, Andra)
     Former tennis champion Arthur Ashe said his AIDS status was  unrelated to 
his recent heart attack, as was his arrest during a  protest against U.S. 
immigration policy toward Haiti.  Ashe, who  has a history of heart problems, 
experienced a mild heart attack  Thursday night, one day after his arrest in 
the protest outside  the White House.  He said, "It's a lucky fellow indeed 
who  suffers a second heart attack and gets to write about it 24 hours later."

Ashe added that his recent heart attack "was somewhat  expected, just as 
seismologists expect the Big One earthquake in  California," and "having 
chronic long-term Illnesses such as AIDS and heart disease forces me to doubly 
prepare for just about any  eventuality."  Ashe said his doctors have directed 
him not to  march in any more demonstrations, and to reduce his work week to  
35 to 40 hours. 

"Scientists Look for Medical Cures Among Fallen Trees" United Press 
International (09/11/92)
     Miami--At a tropical garden, researchers are examining the  remains of 
rare trees that fell during Hurricane Andrew to  determine if they contain 
substances that can be used in  treatment of cancer and AIDS.  The storm 
knocked down or severely damaged 60 to 70 percent of the trees and other 
plants at the  83-acre Fairchild Tropical Garden, including rare palm trees 
that could involve valuable substances not available anywhere else.   Dr. 
Peter Gasson of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew near London,  who is 
collecting rare specimens at Fairchild this week, said,  "Even if we don't 
look at them now, they (specimens) will be  available to us in the future."  
Dr. William Klein, Fairchild's  director, said among the 2,700 types of palms 
in the world, 700  of them grew at Fairchild.  Palm trees are difficult to 
research  because they only have one growing stem.  Consequently, the whole 
tree would have to be killed for research to be performed.   Before the storm, 
botanical gardens refused in almost all cases  to give up their trees.  
Biochemists are testing the Fairchild  specimens against 60 forms of cancer 
and two forms of HIV to  ascertain virus-fighting potential.  According to 
researchers, 25 percent of all prescription drugs are derived from plants.  
Only  1 or 2 percent of the initial research will result in additional  work, 
say researchers. 

"Animal Rights, AIDS Activists Protest Baboon Liver Transplant" United Press 
International (09/11/92)
     Pittsburgh--Animal rights and AIDS activists protested Friday at  
Presbyterian University Hospital to argue against the use of an  HIV-positive 
man in the transplant of a baboon liver.  The  35-year-old man did not have 
AIDS, but was infected before the  transplant with HIV.  People for the 
Ethical Treatment of Animals organized the demonstration.  The group's 
spokesman, Steven  Simmons, said, "This is a clear case of scientific fraud." 

Simmons said that University of Pittsburgh Medical Center  officials should 
have revealed the man's infection with HIV  because it raises questions about 
the results of the experiment.  Don Fox of ACT-UP said HIV-positive people 
should not be used as  "unwitting pawns" by researchers.  The director of the 
Pitt  Transplantation Institute, Dr. Thomas Starzl, said the immune  systems 
of HIV-positive patients respond to organ transplants  much the same way other 
patients do.  The family of the man who  received the transplant gave Pitt 
Medical Center permission to  release certain information regarding his HIV 
status because of  "rumors and misinformation" reported by news media.  
University  officials said at the time of transplant, the patient was  HIV-
positive and was dying from hepatitis B, but did not have  AIDS.  Officials 
added that detailed information about all  research and clinical aspects of 
the case will be provided at the time it is released in a medical journal. 

"Pill and Condom Usage Grow..." Drug Store News for the Pharmacist (08/17/92) 
Vol. 2, No. 8, P. 60
     Condom usage among 18-29 year-old women has significantly  increased in 
recent years, according to the Ortho annual birth  control study.  Due to the 
threat of sexually transmitted  diseases and HIV infection, condom usage among 
this age group  increased from 34 percent in 1983 to 67 percent in 1991.   
Approximately 8,000 women ages 15 to 44  participated in the  survey.  Ortho 
has performed the study every year since 1969. 

"Homosexual and Bisexual Men's Perceptions of Discrimination in  Health 
Services" American Journal of Public Health (09/92) Vol. 82, No. 9, P. 1277 
(Kass, Nancy E. et al.)
     The fact that a disproportionate amount of men with AIDS reported being 
refused treatment by doctors or dentists warrants public  health and policy 
attention, write Nancy E. Kass et al. of the  Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene 
and Public Health in Baltimore,  Md.  Three different samples of gay/bisexual 
men were used in the study.  Samples 1 and 2 were recruited from the Baltimore 
and Los Angeles sites, respectively, of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study 
(MACS).  Sample 3 was recruited from gay and bisexual male AIDS  patients at 
the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.   Questionnaires were given to all of 
the samples to determine  whether the men felt they had been denied medical or 
dental care  because of their sexual orientation or a condition related to HIV 
infection.  It was found that two percent of the HIV-negative men reported 
having been refused treatment by a physician because of  sexual orientation, 
compared with 4 percent of HIV-positive men  who did not have AIDS and 3 
percent of the men with AIDS.  A  total of one percent of HIV-negative men 
reported having been  denied medical treatment due to a known or suspected 
HIV-related  condition, compared with 4 percent of HIV-positive men and 5  
percent of men with AIDS.  Approximately 18 percent of men with  AIDS reported 
a refusal from a doctor or dentist on the basis of  a known or suspected HIV-
related condition, the researchers conclude. 

"Brief Report: Idiotypic IgA Nephropathy in Patients with Human  
Immunodeficiency Virus Infection" New England Journal of Medicine (09/03/92) 
Vol. 327, No. 10, P.  702  (Kimmel, Paul L. et al.)
     While the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy in patients with HIV  infection 
is unknown, genetic factors or immune-complex  mechanisms may be involved, 
write Paul L. Kimmel et al. of the  George Washington University Medical 
Center in Washington, D.C.   The researchers studied two patients with IgA 
nephropathy and HIV infection from whom circulating immune complexes composed 
of IgA  idiotypeic antibody reactive with anti-HIV IgG or IgM antibodies  were 
isolated.  Eluates of renal-biopsy tissue, studied in one  patients, also 
contained complexes of IgA idiotypeic antibody and anti-HIV immunoglobulin.  
Immune complex deposition, rather than  passively trapped material, is 
suggested by the presence of  circulating anti-HIV antibodies complexes and 
the enrichment of  the levels of alike immune complexes in renal eluates.  The

findings in the patients are consistent with Ig A  immune-complex-mediated 
renal disease.  .  The presence of  idiotypic antibodies indicates 
immunoregulatory dysfunction  linked with HIV infection, a response to 
continued production of  anti-HIV antibodies, or a response to specific or 
repeated modes  of antigen presentation. 

"AIDS in Poland" Lancet (09/05/92) Vol. 340, No. 8819, P. 613  (Seyfried, 
Halina  and Sablinski, Jan)
     Poland's blood transfusion service has been screening blood for  HIV 
since 1985, contrasting what Vera Rich describes in her  discussion of AIDS in 
Poland in the May 9 Lancet, write Halina  Seyfried and Jan Sablinski of the 
Institute of Hematology and  Blood Transfusion in Warsaw.  Rich wrote that "a 
significant  proportion of Poland's HIV-carriers (some 700 at that time) were  
victims of inadequacies of the health service, who had acquired  the virus 
through infected blood or inadequately sterilized  syringes and transfusion 
kits."  Seyfried and Sablinski say that  in Poland tests for HIV in blood 
donors were introduced in 1985  and became mandatory for every blood donation 
in 1987.  More than 6 million tests have been performed since 1985.  During 
this  period, 139 HIV-positive blood donors and candidates for blood  donation 
were identified.  Every recipient of HIV-negative blood  in whom 
seroconversion is revealed by subsequent testing is  carefully examined.  The 
Polish blood transfusion services, much  like hospitals, utilize disposable 
syringes and transfusion kits. 

"News in Brief: Indonesia" Advocate (09/08/92) No. 611, P. 29
     Indonesian health officials announced July 28 they do not plan to 
investigate how many Indonesians are infected with HIV, despite a World Bank 
report that said the country may be the only remaining large developing 
country where AIDS could be prevented from  devastating the country.  The 
officials said 180,000 of the  country's 191 million residents have been 
tested for HIV.  They  revealed that 64 people tested HIV-positive and 24 
developed  AIDS.  But World Bank officials said the actual number of  HIV-
positive Indonesians is probably much larger because the  country has a 
significant number of prostitutes.  The World Bank  report demanded that the 
Indonesian government act quickly to  avoid an influx of AIDS cases similar to 
that which occurred in  countries like Thailand and India. 

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