HICNet Medical News Digest      Mon, 08 Aug 1994        Volume 07 : Issue 35

Today's Topics:

  [FDA] FDA Reviews Silicon Gel Mouse Study
  Course Announcment: Telemedicine '95
  [FDA] Combination Tuberculosis Drug Approved
  Mortality Rate from MI/Cancer People Born Different Zodiac Signs

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       Tom Whalen, M.D., Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Camden

        Douglas B. Hanson, Ph.D., Forsyth Dental Center, Boston, MA

             Lawrence Lee Miller, B.S. Biological Sciences, UCI

            Dr K C Lun, National University Hospital, Singapore

             W. Scott Erdley, MS, RN, SUNY@UB School of Nursing

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  Albert Shar, Ph.D. CIO, Associate Prof, Univ of Penn School of Medicine

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Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 06:52:04 MST
From: mednews (HICNet Medical News)
To: hicnews
Subject: [FDA] FDA Reviews Silicon Gel Mouse Study
Message-ID: <HDsqqc9w165w@stat.com>

              FDA REVIEWS SILICONE GEL MOUSE STUDY

     FDA has received inquiries about results of a study published
in the July 20 Journal of the National Cancer Institute which show
that silicone gel induces a rare form of cancer in strains of
laboratory mice.  The following can be used to answer questions.
     In the study, silicone gel was injected into the abdomen of
two strains of mice that are good experimental models for a rare
type of cancer called plasmacytoma.  Plasmacytomas in mice are
similar to a rare blood cell cancer in humans called multiple
myeloma.
     The relevance of the study to women with silicone gel-filled
breast implants is not yet known.  FDA is aware of a few cases of
women with breast implants who have developed multiple myeloma.
However, there is no evidence at this point that women with the
implants are any more susceptible to this disease than other women.
Since multiple myeloma occurs throughout the population, some cases
are expected to develop in women both with and without implants.
     Multiple myeloma is a rare disease.  Approximately four new
cases occur annually in 100,000 persons in the United States.
Based on these rates and the number of women with implants, over
the past six years it would be expected that 155 cases of multiple
myeloma would have occurred in women with breast implants, whether
they had the implants or not.
     Signs and symptoms of muultiple myeloma include weakness and
fatigue, bone pain, kidney failure, recurrent bacterial infections
and anemia.  For some patients, weakness and fatigue may be the
primary symptoms.
     To help provide answers to the questions of whether breast
implants can increase the risk of multiple myeloma, researchers are
asking physicians to report cases of the disease found in their
breast implant patients.
     Physicians aware of new cases are encouraged to report them to
FDA through the MedWatch program at 1-800-FDA-1088.
      The results of the study do not change FDA's previous advice
to women with breast implants.  Women should be alert for signs of
problems and see their doctors if these occur.  Women who are not
having problems need not have their implants removed.
     The study also does not change FDA's position on the ongoing
clinical trials of silicone gel-filled breast implants.  These
studies have been restricted to women undergoing breast
reconstruction for medical reasons such as breast cancer.  As part
of the informed consent requirements of the studies, participants
are warned about the risks of the implants, including the
uncertainty about possible immunologic and carcinogenic effects.
The woman and her doctor must weigh the potential benefits of the
breast reconstruction against the known and unknown risks of the
implants.



------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 06:52:46 MST
From: mednews (HICNet Medical News)
To: hicnews
Subject: Course Announcment: Telemedicine '95
Message-ID: <Nesqqc10w165w@stat.com>

     TELEMEDICINE '95 will be presented 4-11 January 1995 at Diney World's
     Contemporary Hotel & Resort, and the Grand Floridian Hotel, Lake Buena
     Vista, FL, USA.

     SPONSORS: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, the American
     Registry of Pathology, the International Academy of Telemedicine,
     the American Telemedicine Association, and the International
     Society of Pathology and Engineering.

     GENERAL INFO:  AFIP Education Dept.,NW, Washington, DC 20306-6000 USA;
     301/427-5231;  FAX 301/427-5001;  INTERNET: LOWTHER@email.afip.osd.mil
     (Brochure is available upon request)

     CONTENT: This course is designed for healthcare professionals,
     scientists, and decision makers who wish to discern the facts and
     exchange information about the emerging field of telemedicine.
     Participants will interact with expert faculty from around the world.

        Lectures will be given each of the first three and half days by our
     distinguished global faculty.  On 7 January we will celebrate by
     "Honoring the Pioneers" of innovation in technology and medicine.
     The pioneers honored are Dr. George Nagamatsu of the USA who
     pioneered applied technologies in Urology, and Dr. Tor Eide of Norway
     who pioneered Telepathology frozen section diagnosis.  This will be
     followed by a visit and tour of "Space Port USA" at the NASA facility
     at Cape Canaveral, Florida.  The next three days include abstract
     poster presentations and interactive panel discussions.  Each panel
     consists of a Chair, three faculty, and up to three panelists
     selected from participants.  Each panel will present a summation on
     the last day.

     ABSTRACTS: Abstracts for the poster presentation sessions are
     encouraged. They should not exceed 400 words and must be received by
     5 November 1994.  Multiple submissions accepted.  E-mail abstracts
     to:   Telemed95@email.afip.osd.mil
     FAX:  (202) 576-9010   or
     Mail: Telemedicine '95 Abstracts
           Telepathology Program
           AFIP
           Washington, DC  20306-6000

     If using surface mail we urge you to submit an electronic copy on
     disk.  All presented lectures, poster abstracts and panel reports
     will be published in the meeting's proceedings and distributed to
     program participants.

     COURSE DIRECTOR:
     Al M. Elsayed, Maj, USAF, MC, FS

     BENEFITS:

     Each full paid course registrant (4-11 June) will receive:

     1 Telemedicine '95 watch
     1 NASA facilities admission
     6 Lunch vouchers
     1 Dinner show admission at "Medieval Times"
     Transportation to and from NASA and the Dinner theater

     Additional supplemental guest packages may be obtained.


     TUITION:

     Early-Bird tuition deadline is 15 November 1994. Those
     attending from 4-7 January 1995 or 7-11 January 1995, the tuition is
     $575.00.  If attending the entire program, 4-11 January 1995, the
     tuition is $925.00.  For active duty US military, DoD civilians,
     full-time permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees (not
     residents or fellows), and commissioned officers of the Public Health
     Service with authorized approval have a registration fee of $675. There
     is no reduction for partial attendance.
        Tuition after 15 November 1994:  Those attending from 4-7 January
     1995 or 7-11 January 1995, the tuition is $675.00.  If attending the
     entire program 4-11 January 1995, the tuition is $975.  For active duty
     US military, DoD civilians, full-time permanent Department of Veterans
     Affairs employees (not residents or fellows), and commissioned officers
     of the Public Health Service with authorized approval  There will be no
     reduction for partial attendance.
       Friends of the AFIP may deduct 10% of the tuition (include membership
     number on the application form). This discount applies only to the full
     tuition cost.



------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 06:53:48 MST
From: mednews (HICNet Medical News)
To: hicnews
Subject: [FDA] Combination Tuberculosis Drug Approved
Message-ID: <Dgsqqc11w165w@stat.com>

             Combination Tuberculosis Drug Approved

     We have been receiving inquiries about the approval of
Rifater, a product that combines three existing tuberculosis drugs
into a single tablet.  The drug is designed to decrease the number
of patients who do not comply with the standard long-term, multi-
drug regimen for treating tuberculosis.  The following may be
useful in answering questions.
     Rifater combines in one dose three first-line tuberculosis
drugs -- isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide.  The fixed-dose
product was developed to simplify dosing, make it easier for
patients to take their medication and thus increase patient
compliance with the dosing regimen.  Noncompliance with the dosing
regimen has been a public health concern in the control of the
disease.
     Use of the combination drug should also slow emergence of
multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, a problem in part attributable
to not following the dosing regimen.
     In addition, the use of Rifater will prevent inadvertent under
or overdosing of any of the three component drugs, and will
safeguard against patients deciding to stop taking one or two of
the three drugs.
     In a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in 1985-1986, more than 17 percent of tuberculosis
patients did not take their medications continuously.  In fact, one
out of every four patients  were still testing positive after six
months of being prescribed drugs for treatment.  In a recent survey
of tuberculosis in New York City, 33 percent of patients had
tuberculosis organisms resistant to at least one drug, and 19
percent had organisms resistant to both isoniazid and rifampin.
     Rifater has been used in Europe, Africa and Hong Kong since
the mid-1980s.  Nearly two years ago, FDA encouraged Marion Merrell
Dow, the drug's manufacturer, to seek U.S. marketing approval.
Since that time, FDA and the company have worked together to make
the drug available.
     The use of combination products such as Rifater in treating
tuberculosis has been recommended by CDC, the World Health
Organization and the Committee on Treatment of the International
Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.



------------------------------

Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 06:56:20 MST
From: mednews (HICNet Medical News)
To: hicnews
Subject: Mortality Rate from MI/Cancer People Born Different Zodiac Signs
Message-ID: <Lksqqc13w165w@stat.com>

    MORTALITY RATES, CAUSED BY MYOCARDIAL INFARCT AND CANCERS
         AMONG PEOPLE, BORN UNDER DIFFERENT ZODIAC SIGNS

Brodziak A., Kaszuba D., Romanowski W., Ry  M.
5th Department of Internal Diseases of Silesian School of Medicine
ul. eromskiego 7, Bytom, Poland
Internet: slawiecd@usctoux1.cto.us.edu.pl

     We present rates of mortality, caused by myocardial infarcts
and  cancers  among  people dead during the calendar year 1993 in
Voivide of Katowice, born under different zodiac signs. Data were
obtained  from  "Death Certificates", transferd to Voivode Center
of  Medical  Data  (Katowice,  ul.  Powstadc"w  15,  Poland), and
computerized there, since January 1993. Fig. 1 reports the Polish
form of "Death Certificate".
     The  discussion  about type A of behavior, prone to coronary
heart   disease   (C.H.D.)   (1-6)  and  typ  C  predisposing  to
development of cancers (7-12) is continued in behavioral medicine
literature.   Recently   the   system  Enneagram  (13)  clasifing
personality  to  9 different types is discused vividly (14). This
system,  from  one  side,  discern  personality  types similar to
behavior  types A (PERFORMER) and C (GIVER), but from other side,
similar  to known characteristics of persons born under different
zodiac  signs.  One  of us published considerations on this topic
formerly (15).
     We  assumed  that  trials  of the formulation of personality
types,  according  to  so  called  zodiac  signs undertaken since
centures  constituted the pre-Freud'ian period of the development
of the theory of personality (16).
     Of  cause  we  understand  the  notion  of  zodiac  signs as
Hipparch,  who  already in the year 125 B.C. divided the ecliptic
into  12 equal parts. Zodiac signs in this way denotes, in facts,
monthly  periods  of  a  callendar  year only; and their names by
astral constellations are customary and historical.
     We  found  significant differences in mortality rates caused
by  myocardial  infarct  and cancers among persons born under the
same  particular,  different zodiac signs and dead befor their 60
year of life.
     This  finding  is  probably one of first objective arguments
that,  after all, the relation between zodiac signs and a kind of
personality,  which infuences death circumstances, thus an aspect
of human destiny really exists.
     Our  methodological  approach  should be clarifid. Mortality
rates  were calculated on data concerning 37644 persons. New-born
(death  during  the  first  year  of  life)  were  not taken into
account.
     Result   were   listed   on   different  diagrams  and  many
statistical  tests  were  performed.  On  the  fig. 2 we trial to
present  mortality rates expressed as the proportion (percentage)
of people born under different zodiac signs, but dead befor their
60-ty by two different primary causes of death. These percentages
can  be  compared  on  the fig. 2 with the total mortality rates,
which  are rather similar. The mean time of life (68.0) of people
born  in different year periods is similar and calculated extreme
differences  (67.5  for  Taurus and 69.4 for Sagittarius) are not
statistically significant.
     The  fig. 2 demonstrates that the probability (freqnency) of
death  by  reason of myocardial infarct in relation to cancers is
higher  among  people  born  under  Taurus,  Gemini,  Cancer  und
Scorpio.
     Poeple  born  under  Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius die
more  often  by  reason  of cancers. These different proportions,
verified  by  c2  test  are significant for groups of people born
under  Taurus  and  Aquarius  (c2=5.44)  and Scorpio and Aquarius
(c2=5.22). The c2 value is high for many other comparaisons also,
however dont exceed the limit for p=0.05. The fig. 3 presents our
data  in  different  way. Here bars illustrates the percentage of
people,  dead  "by  reason  of  infarct" in relation to all other
possible primary causes of death.
     A  periodic  year  regularity of these rates seems to become
noticeable  (see black bars in the fig. 2). The rate mortality by
reason  of  infarct  for  people born (conceived!!) in subsequent
zodiacal  monthes increases (Ram, Taurus, Gemini), then decreases
(Cancer,  Leo,  Virgo,  Libra)  and  afterwards  again  increases
(Sagittarius,  Capricorn,  Pisces  and  again  Ram). The data for
Scorpio sign disturbs this regularity.
     We formulated a hypothesis, which facilitates the discussion
of  these  results.  Our  hypothesis  assumes  that  some  inborn
characterological  features  (personality  type)  of  a  new-born
persons  are  induces by the pattern of day-light, perceived by a
pregnant  woman.  There are many experimental findings supporting
this   hypothesis.  Perceived  light,  through  visual  pathways,
nucleus  suprachiasmaticus  and pineal gland determines circadian
rythm  of  secretion of melatonin (17,18). Pineal gland acting on
hypothalamus  determines  circadian  changes  of many hypophyseal
hormons and especially gonadotropins (18,19,20).
     It  is  also found already that the photoperiod perceived by
females influences many foetal functions (21,22).
It  is  remarkable that female melatonin influences fetal gonadal
function  (23,24,25,26). The influence of gonadal hormones on the
development of embrional and fetal brain is also proved.
     Thus, it could be concluded that biological rationale exists
for  the  thesis  that  the  calendar  period of pregnancy can be
related  to  some  inborn  personality caracteristics. From other
side researchers interested in clinical psychology and behavioral
medicine  try  to relate some behavioral types to diseases, which
cause  more frequently early death. Therefore it seems to us that
scrupulous  analysis of mortality rates performed on big files of
data,  gathered  in  different  countries, especially on southern
hemisphere  could  clarified many quesions concerning relation of
month  of  conception to some aspects of lifestyle and behavioral
patterns.






     Pi miennictwo

 1. Friedman M., Rosenman R.H.:  Overt behaviour pattern in coro-
    nary  disease - Detection of overt behaviour pattern A in pa-
    tients  with  coronary  disease by a new psycho-physiological
    procedure.
    J. Amer. Med. Ass., 1960, 173, 1320-1324.
 2. Friedman M., Rosenman R.H.:  Type A behaviour pattern. Its
    association  with  coronary  heart  disease. Annales of Clin.
    Res., 1971, 3, 300-306.
 3. Friedman M.:  Alteration of type A behaviour and reduction in
    cardiac  recurrences  in post myocardial infarction patients.
    Amer. Hearth J., 1984, 108, 237-239.
 4. Wright L.: The type A behaviour pattern and coronary artery
    disease. American Psychologist, 1988, 1, 2-14.
 5. Price V.A.: Type A behaviour pattern. A model for research
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 6. Ruberman W., Weinblatt E., Goldberg J.D., Chaudhary B.S.:
    Psychosocial  influences on mortality after myocardial infar-
    ction. N. Engl. J. Med., 1984, 311, 552-559.
 7. Bahnson C.B.: Stress and cancer: the state of the art.
    Psychosomatics, 1980, 21,975-978.
 8. Jenkins D.: Social environment and cancer mortality in men.
    N. Engl. J. Med., 1984, 48, 395-398.
 9. Temoskok L.: Personality, coping style, emotion and cancer.
    Towards  an intergrative model. Cancer Surveys, 1987, 6, 545-
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10. Hahn R.C., Petitti D.B.: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
    Inventory  rated  depression and the incidence of breast can-
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11. Baltrush H.J.F., Santagostino P.: The type C behaviour pat-
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12. Baltrush H.J.F., Strangel W., Titze J.: Stress, cancer and
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13. Palmer H.: The Enneagram. The definitive guide to the ancient
    system  for understanding yourself and the others in your li-
    fe. Harper & Row Publishers, San Francisco - New York, 1988.
14. Wagner J.:  Call  for paper form for "First International En-
    neagram  Conference"  -  which  will be heald on the Stanford
    University Campus, August 5-7, 1994 (P.O.Box 728, San Carles,
    CA 940700728).
15. Brodziak A.: Alchemia Twoich Marzed. Wydawca: Zak ad Poligra-
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    fects  on food intake, food retrieved and weight in femal Sy-
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19. Martinet L., Allain D.: Role of the pineal gland in the pho-
    toperiodic  control of reproductive and non-reproductive fun-
    ctions in mink. Ciba Foundation Symposia, 1985, 117, 170-187.
20. Ortavant R., Bocquier F., Pelletier J., Ravault J.P., Thimo-
    nier  J.,  Volland  Nail  P.:  Seasonality of reproduction in
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    Sci., 1988, 41, 69-85.
21. Weaver D.R., Reppert S.M.: Maternal melatonin communicates
    daylength to the fetus in Djunfarian hamsters.
    Endocrinology, 1986, 118, 2861-2863.
22. Elliott J.A., Goldman B.D.: Reception of photoperiodic infor-
    mation  by  fetal Siberian hamsters: role of the mother's pi-
    neal gland. J. Exp. Zol., 1989, 252, 237-244.
23. Jarrige J.F., Tlemcani O., Baucher D.: Gonadal function in
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24. Yellom S.M., Longe L.D.: Effect of maternal pinealectomy and
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    natal  sensitive period for maternal - fetal communication of
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------------------------------

End of HICNet Medical News Digest V07 Issue #35
***********************************************


---
Editor, HICNet Medical Newsletter
Internet: david@stat.com                 FAX: +1 (602) 451-1165
Bitnet  : ATW1H@ASUACAD

