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 +------------------------------------------------+ ! ! ! Health Info-Com Network ! ! Medical Newsletter ! +------------------------------------------------+ Editor: David Dodell, D.M.D. 10250 North 92nd Street, Suite 210, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258-4599 USA Telephone +1 (602) 860-1121 FAX +1 (602) 451-1165 Internet: mednews@stat.com Bitnet: ATW1H@ASUACAD Mosaic WWW: http://biomed.nus.sg/MEDNEWS/welcome.html Compilation Copyright 1994 by David Dodell, D.M.D. All rights Reserved. License is hereby granted to republish on electronic media for which no fees are charged, so long as the text of this copyright notice and license are attached intact to any and all republished portion or portions. The Health Info-Com Network Newsletter is distributed biweekly. Articles on a medical nature are welcomed. If you have an article, please contact the editor for information on how to submit it. If you are interested in joining the automated distribution system, please contact the editor. Associate Editors: E. Loren Buhle, Jr. Ph.D. Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Univ of Pennsylvania 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 Jack E. Cross, B.S Health Care Admin, 882 Medical Trng Grp, USAF Albert Shar, Ph.D. CIO, Associate Prof, Univ of Penn School of Medicine Martin I. Herman, M.D., LeBonheur Children's Medical Center, Memphis TN Stephen Cristol, M.D., Dept of Ophthalmology, Emory Univ, Atlanta, GA Subscription Requests = mednews@stat.com anonymous ftp = vm1.nodak.edu; directory HICNEWS FAX Delivery = Contact Editor for information ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 and practice. Academic Pres, New York, 1982. 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- 567. 10. Hahn R.C., Petitti D.B.: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory rated depression and the incidence of breast can- cer. Cancer, 1988, 61, 845-848. 11. Baltrush H.J.F., Santagostino P.: The type C behaviour pat- tern - new concept. International J. Psychophysiology, 1989, 7, 126. 12. Baltrush H.J.F., Strangel W., Titze J.: Stress, cancer and immunity. Acta Neurologica, 1991, 13, 315-327. 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- ficzny, Bytom (ul. Wolno ci (Pi sudskiego) 37), 1992. 16. Pellegrini R.J.: Birthadate psychology: a new look at some old data. J. Psychol., 1975, 89, 261-265. 17. Tamarkin L., Baird C.J., Almeida O.F.: Melatonin a coordina- ting signal for mamalian reproduction? Science, 1985, 227, 714-720. 18. Fleming A.S., Scardicchio D.S.: Photoperiodic and pineal ef- fects on food intake, food retrieved and weight in femal Sy- rian hamsters. J. Biol. Rhythms, 1986, 1, 285-301. 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 sheep and its control by photoperiod. Australian J. of Biol. 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 male offspring of pinealectomized female rates. Acta Endocrinologica (Copenhagen), 1987, 116, 247-252. 24. Yellom S.M., Longe L.D.: Effect of maternal pinealectomy and reverse photoperiod on the circadian melatonin rhythm in the sheep and fetus during the last trimester od pregnancy. Biol. Reprod., 1988, 39, 1093-1099. 25. Jarrige J.F., Laurichesse H., Boucher D.: Androgenic activity in 15-day old male rats: role of the maternal pineal gland. Biol. Reprod., 1992, 46, 386-391. 26. Weaver D.R., Keohon J.T., Reppert S.M.: Definition of a pre- natal sensitive period for maternal - fetal communication of day length. Am. J. Physiol., 1987, 253, E701-E704. ------------------------------ 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