Subject: CDC AIDS Daily Summary for Date: Mon May 8 07:01:01 PDT 2000 (170 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 2000, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update Monday, May 8, 2000 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 HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles. HEADLINES PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS "Syphilis Increases in Manchester, UK" "CD1c-Mediated T-Cell Recognition of Isoprenoid Glycolipids in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection" "Testing for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Types Will Become a Standard of Clinical Care" GENERAL MEDIA "US Official Defends AIDS as Security Threat" "State Lifts Its Restrictions on Hypodermic Needles" "DNA Vaccine With Booster Induces Functional CTL Response Against SIV" "South Africa Gives AIDS Maverick Role in Task Force" "HIV-Infected Women Suffer Much More Than Men" "Caution Required With Immune Activation Treatment in AIDS Patients" *************************************************************** PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS *************************************************************** "Syphilis Increases in Manchester, UK" Lancet (04/22/00) Vol. 355, No. 9213, P. 1466; Higgins, Stephen P.; Sukthankar, Ashish; Mahto, Mrinalini; et al. The number of syphilis cases in England fell between 1997 and 1998, but from January 1999 to January 2000, 34 cases were diagnosed in three Manchester clinics. Of the infected men, 24 were homosexual and nine had HIV. The Manchester patients came from different walks of life, a concern since genital-ulcer disease can increase the risk for contracting HIV. Unfortunately, the gay community may be practicing unsafe sex after new AIDS treatments have saved lives; therefore, the safe sex message needs to reach more people in Manchester. "CD1c-Mediated T-Cell Recognition of Isoprenoid Glycolipids in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection" Nature (www.nature.com) (04/20/00) Vol. 404, No. 6780, P. 884; Moody, D. Branch; Ulrichs, Timo; Muhlecker, Walter; et al. A discovery of the CD1 antigen pathway involving T-cell antigens has helped define a new class of lipid antigens found during infection in vivo by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and The Medical School of Newcastle, England, performed skin tests and other research on infected subjects, average age 35, whose dendritic cells and T-cells were evaluated for the experiment. The researchers note that compared "to the nine known lipids presented by other CD1 isoforms that share a common motif of two straight aliphatic hydrocarbon tails connected by a central hydrophilic cap, the CD1c-presented lipids that we have described her have a single alkyl chain tail composed of one isoprenoid lipid." "Testing for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Types Will Become a Standard of Clinical Care" American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Online (www1.mosby.com/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=home&id=ob) (04/00) Vol. 182, No. 4, P. 860; Ledger, William J.; Jeremias, Jan; Witkin, Steven S. Three researchers from New York assert that testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types, which can lead to abnormal cervical cellular changes, should be made a standard of care for American women. Conducting HPV tests in addition to Pap smears allows for the identification of group for closer follow-up research. Adding HPV screening to the Pap smear shows which women need follow-up testing. The researchers, noting that a vaccine could help prevent HPV infections, assert that "medical treatments to hasten the elimination of high-risk human papillomavirus types should become part of standard medical practice." **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "US Official Defends AIDS as Security Threat" Reuters (05/07/00) U.S. Health Secretary Donna Shalala has defended the Clinton administration's declaration that AIDS is a threat to U.S. security. She criticized Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's comment that the president is pandering to certain groups. The incidence of AIDS in Africa is high enough to destabilize economies and is killing the young work force. Shalala added that AIDS is a growing problem in Russia, India, and African countries, where safe sex should be advocated. "State Lifts Its Restrictions on Hypodermic Needles" New York Times (www.nytimes.com) (05/06/00) P. A11; Hernandez, Raymond The New York State Legislature has passed a measure allowing the sale and possession of hypodermic needles without a prescription. The measure aims to slow the spread of AIDS among injection drug users. New York is now the 43rd state that does not require prescriptions to buy needles in pharmacies. No group opposed the measure in New York, but opponents in other states are debating the same legislation. "DNA Vaccine With Booster Induces Functional CTL Response Against SIV" Reuters Health Information Services (05/05/00) Dr. Todd Allen of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and colleagues have reported that a DNA vaccine used on rhesus macaques prompted the production of CTLs against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The findings are printed in the Journal of Immunology. The scientists describe the cell responses of the monkeys, which were boosted with a modified vaccinia virus Ankara boost vaccine. Allen's group determined that immunizing the macaques with multiple CTL epitopes could clarify how the T-cells respond to virus replication. "South Africa Gives AIDS Maverick Role in Task Force" Reuters (05/07/00); Swindells, Steven South African President Thabo Mbeki has appointed American Professor Peter Duesberg to a government task force that will hold experiments that could disprove that HIV causes AIDS. Duesberg is one of a few dissidents who do not believe in a causal link between HIV and AIDS. He will work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and South Africa's Medical Research Council to formulate the experiments. Duesberg believes AIDS is caused when the immune system fails because of recreational drug use or anti-AIDS drug use. "HIV-Infected Women Suffer Much More Than Men" India Times Online (www.timesofindia.com) (05/08/00); Katyal, Anita Women in India often have little say in their marriages and have virtually no control over their bodies. When they are infected with HIV from their husbands, they are viewed as promiscuous and are shunned by relatives, even denied treatment. A series of studies by UNIFEM shows that women have more burdens when infected with HIV, after being disowned by their husbands and often not supported by any family members. Women rarely get treated quickly, especially if the husband hides his infection after visiting prostitutes. A report by the North East Network shows that sex workers are more often infected because they are abused. "Caution Required With Immune Activation Treatment in AIDS Patients" Reuters Health Information Services (05/05/00) A report in an April issue of the journal AIDS states that treating AIDS patients with powerful immune activation therapy could have dangerous results. Dr. Christophe Fraser of the University of Oxford and colleagues used a mathematical model to analyze the treatment using data from three patients who were on a five-drug regimen. The activation of many of the patient's T-cells could deplete HIV-infected and healthy T-cell populations. Dr. Fraser warns that if the virus reproduces quickly enough it can overtake the drugs' benefits. ****************************************************************