Subject: CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update Date: Thu Jan 8 07:31:21 PST 1998 (207 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1998, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update January 8, 1998 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 1997, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. HEADLINES --------- PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS "Kaposi's Sarcoma: Coupling Herpesvirus to Angiogenesis" GENERAL MEDIA "Clerk, Pharmacy Are Sued Over Disclosure of Man's AIDS" "Concern Over Rise in STD" "Red Cross Federation Launches $167 Million Appeal" "Powdered Latex Gloves Called a Health Risk" "City Can't Bar AIDS Groups, Court Rules" "HIV Infection First Registered in Bratsk" "Science & Health Bulletin: Information Package" "Valaciclovir Effective Prophylaxis for HIV-Related CMV Disease" *************************************************************** PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS *************************************************************** "Kaposi's Sarcoma: Coupling Herpesvirus to Angiogenesis" Nature (01/01/98) Vol. 391, No. 6662, P. 24; Boshoff, Chris In a recent issue of Nature magazine, Chris Boshoff of London's Institute of Cancer Research reviews a study by Bais et al. that aimed to explain how Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) contributes to the proliferation of vasculature and spindle-cells associated with the disease. Boshoff explains that the researchers discovered that the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) encoded by KSHV induces angiogenesis in transformed NIH3T3 cells, and that secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)--which is secreted by spindle cells, also known as "tumor" cells--accompanies this transformation. Yet, Boshoff notes, KSHV-GPCR is not the only viral oncogene that can induce angiogenesis and tumor formation. Cells transformed by v-HA-ras and v-raf, for example, express VEGF, although these genes induce a different signaling pathway from KSHV-GPCR. Bais et al., meanwhile, identified the pathways triggered by GPCR as the JNK/SAPK and p38MAPK pathways. Therefore, Boshoff writes, as many as three major signaling pathways could be involved in tumor progression. Typically, herpesviral proteins are classified as "latent" or "lytic," but with KSHV, classification is more difficult because many genes are expressed during both the lytic and latent phases. This complex expression patter and histology, Boshoff explains, may simply indicate that the model of tumorigenesis in Kaposi's sarcoma may be unlike any other virus-induced malignancy. Yet, he adds, most current KSHV research has been able to demonstrate that KSHV can alter any cell type in vitro. **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "Clerk, Pharmacy Are Sued Over Disclosure of Man's AIDS" Baltimore Sun (01/08/98) P. 7A A Michigan man with AIDS has sued Arbor Drugs and a clerk at the pharmacy, alleging that his children were informed of his illness after the clerk who dealt with his prescription told her son. The man said he had not intended to reveal his sickness to his children until absolutely necessary, so they would not worry. However, Stanley Grzadzinski and his wife claim that after the clerk recognized that the prescriptions were for AIDS drugs, she told her son, who attended middle school with the couple's children. Grzadzinski alleges that the boy then began taunting his children at school, repeatedly calling one child an "AIDS baby." Michigan's medical confidentiality law includes prescription data, which is part of a medical record, and pharmacists and pharmacies who disclose such information can be penalized, according to Tom Lindsay of the State Office of Health Services. "Concern Over Rise in STD" New Zealand Press Online (01/08/98) During the 12 months ending September 1997, the number of reported chlamydia cases in New Zealand rose 13 percent, to 1,858, according to Dr. Gillian Durham of the Ministry of Health. Health officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the problem, especially because nearly 80 percent of women and 10 percent of men with the disease show no symptoms. Mick Ozimek, who conducts sexually transmitted disease testing at the Ettie Rout Clinic in Christchurch, says that the increase in chlamydia and other STDs is attributed to the of increasing number of people becoming sexually active at a younger age--sometimes as young as 12 or 13. He adds, though, that doctors should remain impartial about such issues so that young patients are not afraid to seek medical help. Meanwhile, Durham says the ministry and health professionals are working toward combining the sexual-health clinics' STD database. "Red Cross Federation Launches $167 Million Appeal" Fox News Online (01/07/98); Waller, Philip As part of efforts to draw donations from national societies, governments, and individuals, the International Red Cross has appealed for $167 million to fund relief operations for diseases and natural disasters caused by El Nino. The appeal, down from last year's $208 million, illustrates a shift from refugee aid, which has been the group's primary focus over the past decade. According to a report by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the new plan aims to help more than 10 million people in 56 countries with poor medical services, including war-torn nations and former communist states. More specifically, the group plans to help people with HIV and AIDS in Asia and Africa, those with typhoid in Tajikistan, and Africans with meningitis and cholera. "Powdered Latex Gloves Called a Health Risk" USA Today (01/08/98) P. 5D; O'Neal, Glenn Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer advocacy group, is petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban powdered latex gloves. The group claims that cornstarch--the powder that coats the gloves--acts as an airborne carrier of latex proteins, which may cause allergic reactions. The FDA has conceded that the cornstarch-powdered gloves can be a health threat, but it does not plan to withdraw them, in part because of the need to protect against diseases like HIV. John McKeegan, a spokesman for latex-glove manufacturer Johnson & Johnson Medical, noted that "latex is an effective barrier against HIV, hepatitis B and C, and other bloodborne and sexually transmitted diseases." "City Can't Bar AIDS Groups, Court Rules" Bergen Record Online (01/07/98) The New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division unanimously ruled in favor of HIV prevention groups when it held that it is illegal to prevent the demonstration of condom use in public parks. The case, which modified a 1996 decision by Justice Alice Schlesinger, was filed by officials at the South Bronx's All Saints Lutheran Parish, who had been forbidden to hold demonstrations on correct condom use in St. Mary's Park. The ban originally resulted from New York City ordinances against non-commercial distribution of products and materials without a permit. However, the state appeals court ruled that condom use demonstrations, in the context of HIV and AIDS awareness education, are covered under the free-speech rights of the U.S. Constitution. The court noted that by preventing any demonstration of products in the parks, the city ordinance is "in effect cutting off an entire medium of expression." "HIV Infection First Registered in Bratsk" Itar Wire Service (01/08/98) Three cases of HIV have been recorded in the Russian city of Bratsk, marking the first infections in the city. In all, 11 people have been diagnosed with HIV in the Irkutsk region, including six who are native to the area. More than 7,000 HIV infections have been reported in Russia, but the actual rate is thought to up to 10 times higher. "Science & Health Bulletin: Information Package" PANA Wire Service (01/07/98); Kayaya, Musengwa Zambia has become the first African country to adopt a health package based upon the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa's AFROPAC information service. The country has created an information package called ZAMPAC, which offers data on many common diseases, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, measles, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, cholera, and poliomyelitis. The document contains information on the causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of these illnesses. ZAMPAC also discusses HIV and AIDS, which is said to account for some 30 percent of deaths among sexually active adults in Zambia. "Valaciclovir Effective Prophylaxis for HIV-Related CMV Disease" Reuters Health Information Services (01/07/98); Feinb New research reported in the Journal of Infectious Diseases investigated the effects of valaciclovir in AIDS patients. In one study, researchers concluded that although the drug caused undesirable rates of toxicity at the dose given, it was an effective prophylaxis for cytomegalovirus disease in AIDS patients. The second study determined that valaciclovir therapy may be preemptive towards CMV viremia, which has a confirmed correlation to clinical disease. Both studies were conducted by members of the ACTG 204/Glaxo Wellcome 123-014 International CMV Prophylaxis Study Group. ***************************************************************** The AIDSNews Mailing List is maintained by the CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. Regular postings include the CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update, conference announcements, clinical trials information, current funding opportunities, and selected MMWR articles. To SUBSCRIBE, send the command "subscribe aidsnews firstname lastname" to the address listproc@aspensys.com. 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