                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                       March 2, 1995

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, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Chiron's IL-2 Boosts Cells Hurt by AIDS, New Study Reports"
"Gingrich Sister, AIDS Lobbyist"
"Advertising: From Nike, a Real World Ad with an H.I.V.-Positive 
Runner"
"Bennett Nabs Top Grammy"
"Across the USA: Mississippi"
"Serious Ethical Concerns in Coercive HIV Tests"
"CTC, Inc. Named Investor Relations Counsel for Medizone 
International Inc."
"Management of Occupational Exposures to Blood-Borne Viruses"
"Control of Posture in Patients with Neurologically Asymptomatic 
HIV Infection and Patients with Beginning HIV-1-Related 
Encephalopathy"
"San Francisco Area: Computerized Search for Local Clinical 
Trials"
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"Chiron's IL-2 Boosts Cells Hurt by AIDS, New Study Reports"
Wall Street Journal (03/02/95) P. B6;  Waldholz, Michael
     A new study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, has
found that Chiron Corp.'s IL-2 (interleukin-2) significantly 
increased the level of immune system cells that were attacked by 
HIV in some patients tested at the National Institute of Allergy 
and Infectious Diseases.  IL-2, an natural substance produced 
through genetic engineering, boosted the number of CD4 cells by 
an average of 50 percent for two years in six of ten patients 
whose CD4 level was above 200.  The researchers, however, also 
found that IL-2 benefitted only 2 of the 15 patients with CD4 
counts below 200.  Further tests must be conducted to determine 
whether the increased number of immune system cells produced 
health benefits for the patients.  Related Stories: Washington 
Post (03/02) P. A3; New York Times (03/02) P. A18; Washington 
Times (03/02) P. A3
      
"Gingrich Sister, AIDS Lobbyist"
New York Times (03/02/95) P. B9
     Candace Gingrich, sister of Speaker Newt Gingrich, will be among 
the gay and lesbian lobbyists on Capitol Hill next Monday to seek
support for AIDS programs.  Ms. Gingrich, whose homosexuality 
became public after the elections last fall, will be lobbying her
own member of Congress, Rep. George W. Gekas (R.-Pa.), to fight 
cuts in federal funding of AIDS programs.  She will take with her
the results of a new poll that indicates that most voters want to
keep the same level of support for AIDS programs, or increase it.
The House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote on a 
number of AIDS programs on Thursday.
      
"Advertising: From Nike, a Real World Ad with an H.I.V.-Positive 
Runner"
New York Times (03/02/95) P. D19;  Elliott, Stuart
     As AIDS continues its attack into a second decade, the issues 
evoked by the disease are slowly, and carefully, beginning to be 
addressed by mainstream advertising.  For example, a television 
commercial for Nike Inc. features a runner named Ric Munoz.  In 
the spot, Munoz is described as someone who runs "80 miles every 
week" and "10 marathons every year," and then matter-of-factly, 
as someone who is HIV-positive.  Joe McCarthy, advertising 
director for Nike in Beaverton, Ore., said that the company was 
not making a statement about HIV or AIDS.  "We wanted to tell an 
inspirational 'Just do it' story, and this seemed like a story 
that could appeal on a very emotional level.  And it's grounded 
in sports, making it a story appropriate for Nike to tell," he 
explained.  Calling it "very healthy," Sean Strub, publisher and 
executive editor of Poz--a magazine about HIV and AIDS--compared 
Munoz's appearance to the inclusion of the disabled in mainstream
commercials and catalogues.  While some people "who have opinions
on HIV" have complained about the commercial, "Eighty, 85 percent
of the comments are positive, applauding Nike for having the 
courage to make this statement," said McCarthy.
      
"Bennett Nabs Top Grammy"
Washington Post (03/02/95) P. D1;  Harrington, Richard
     Bruce Springsteen won four times Wednesday night at the 37th 
annual Grammy Awards, all for "Streets of Philadelphia," his 
theme song for the 1993 film "Philadelphia."  The song was named 
song of the year, best rock song, best song written specifically 
for a motion picture or television, and best male rock vocal.  
The song also won an Academy award last year.  In accepting the 
award, Springsteen gave a special thanks to "the folks who have 
come up to me in restaurants or on the street who've lost their 
sons or their lovers or their friends to AIDS and said this song 
meant something to them."
      
"Across the USA: Mississippi"
USA Today (03/02/95) P. 9A
     In what represents Mississippi's first case in which HIV was 
considered to be a deadly weapon, Willie Palmer--who is infected 
with the virus--was sentenced to eight years in prison for biting
a store clerk.
      
"Serious Ethical Concerns in Coercive HIV Tests"
Houston Chronicle (03/01/95) P. 21A;  Harrington, Eugene M.
     Although its intentions are good, the recent proposal that would 
mandate that prenatal care in Texas include an HIV test raises 
serious ethical concerns about the use of coercive confidential 
HIV testing as a medical tool, writes Eugene M. Harrington in the
Houston Chronicle.  The simplicity of the requirement is 
deceptive, he says, because a Texas woman would have to undergo 
an HIV test--without the safeguard of anonymity--or face serious 
consequences.  With confidential testing, the individual is 
tested and the results are divulged to the laboratory, doctor, 
hospital, clinic, and other medical personnel.  Under penalty of 
law, all HIV results are restricted, but a confidential test 
result is only as confidential as those having the information 
decide it to be, Harrington says.  Some people may argue that the
proposed legislation is not coercive because it contains a 
provision for women to refuse.  Many women, however, depend of 
the public health system for prenatal care, and understand the 
negative impact a "refusal to be tested" medical file notation 
can have for any woman.  Texans should use every possible means 
to protect unborn children from HIV infection, but a system can 
be developed that does not mandate that a child's health be paid 
for at the expense of the mother's self-interest, Harrington 
concludes.
      
"CTC, Inc. Named Investor Relations Counsel for Medizone 
International Inc."
PR Newswire (03/01/95)
     CTC, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it has become the Investor 
Relations counsel for Medizone International Inc.--the developer 
of Medizone, an ozone-based treatment for diseases caused by 
lipid enveloped viruses, such as AIDS, hepatitis B, and herpes.  
"It is a privilege to assist the management of Medizone 
International, Inc., in getting their story known by a broader 
number of investors as they pursue their proprietary therapeutic 
approach," said William H. Roberts, president of CTC, Inc.
      
"Management of Occupational Exposures to Blood-Borne Viruses"
New England Journal of Medicine (02/16/95) Vol. 332, No. 7, P. 
444;  Gerberding, Julie Louise
     Exposure to blood-borne pathogens, such as hepatitis B virus 
(HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and HIV, poses a serious 
occupational risk to health care workers.  While prevention of 
such infection is possible, it is dependent upon the integration 
of three strategies: avoidance of exposure, immunization, and 
post-exposure prophylaxis.  The risk associated with occupational
exposure to HIV is low--about 0.2 percent for percutaneous 
injuries involving needles and other contaminated devices and 0.1
percent for mucocutaneous exposures.  Although several highly 
speculative preventive treatments have been proposed, there is no
evidence that such approaches would be of any benefit.  Reverse 
transcriptase inhibitors, such as zidovudine, are the only drugs 
that have clinical benefit in HIV-infected humans.  Uncertainties
about zidovudine, including resistance and toxicity, however, 
suggest that the drug should not be seen as the standard of care.
Still, more than 40 percent of health care workers reporting HIV 
exposures to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 
1992 elected such treatment.  The Public Health Service 
recommends periodic testing for HIV antibody for at least six 
months after exposure.  If HIV infection is suspected, the 
Western blot or p24 antigen test should be performed to detect 
evidence of early infection.
      
"Control of Posture in Patients with Neurologically Asymptomatic 
HIV Infection and Patients with Beginning HIV-1-Related 
Encephalopathy"
Journal of the American Medical Association (03/01/95) Vol. 273, 
No. 9, P. 682e
     Researchers observed stance control measurements--such as sway 
velocity, sway area, and postural reflexes--in patients with 
neurologically asymptomatic HIV infection and in patients with 
beginning HIV-1-related encephalopathy.  They concluded that 
because posture control is well-preserved in early HIV infection,
it is not an appropriate measure of detecting subclinical 
deficits.  However, damage to postural control appears to be one 
of the first neurological abnormalities in patients with 
beginning HIV-1-related encephalopathy.
      
"San Francisco Area: Computerized Search for Local Clinical 
Trials"
AIDS Treatment News (02/10/95) No. 216, P. 7;  Smith, Denny
     The Community Consortium, an organization of HIV care providers 
in the San Francisco Bay area, offers HIV-positive people a quick
and easy way to find out about local clinical trials.  "Trials 
Search" is a free service to any Bay Area resident.  The data 
offered by Trials Search is the same as that contained in the 
Consortium's published directory of trials, but the computer 
search is more current since new trials are available as soon as 
they are entered.  The results of the search are specific to the 
needs of the inquirer.  The patient's health history and lab work
are entered into the computer.  The data is then compared to the 
entry criteria of all local clinical trials, and the resulting 
printout matches the patient with those trials for which he or 
she is eligible.
      
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