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Welcome to QAS
- A trusted name in home and professional diagnostic device sales, service, technical support, insurance reimbursement assistance, distribution and education for over 8 years.
They Found It
HIV Genes Isolated
Researchers have pinpointed gene variations that could explain why some people are
more vulnerable to HIV than others, a finding which could also boost the quest for an
AIDS vaccine. The variations are located in genes that control signaling molecules called
human leukocyte antigens (HLA), which help identify an intruder and tell the immune system
to destroy it. There are three types of HLA - A, B and C.
The scientists took blood from 375 women with HIV in southern Africa who were not
receiving anti-AIDS drugs, and analyzed the samples to get their HLA profile.
Women who had one of two "protective" versions of HLA-B were likelier to survive and
less likely to transmit the virus to their babies during pregnancy than counterparts
who had one of two "deleterious" versions. The study adds to previous work that also
points the finger at HLA-B variants.
That research, conducted among Caucasians, found that individuals with certain types of
HLA-B genes had less virus in their bodies and a higher tally of CD4 immune cells,
which are targeted by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The work is a joint
project by the universities of Oxford, Harvard and KwaZulu-Natal, led by Oxford specialist
Philip Goulder.
Aids first came to notoriety in 1981, but the search for a vaccine has been deeply
frustrating. One reason is that no one has ever been found to have the "natural correlates"
for immunity against HIV. If that individual exists and can be located, that would help
vaccine engineers to mimic the workings of his or her immune system to design a protective
formula.
Even though no one has yet been found who is immune to HIV, there is sufficient variety
in the human immune system to expose potential chinks in the virus' armor. Some individuals
can survive for years without having any of the symptoms of AIDS, whereas others very
quickly develop the disease. Understanding and exploiting the genetic reasons for this big
difference can help the search for a vaccine that may, at least, give partial protection.
abconline.com
Anticoagulation News
New Heart Therapy Identified
Scientists have identified a heart protein that is naturally produced during fetal
development and shows promise as a treatment for heart attack patients. If the
protein's promise is realized, it may have tremendous implications for the treatment
of the one million people who suffer heart attacks in the United States every year.
The protein, called thymosin beta-4, is produced during fetal heart development. It
encourages the migration of heart cells and strengthens the cells during development.
Thymosin beta-4 is already used in clinical trials in the treatment of wound healing on the skin.
In mice, thymosin beta-4 limited the severity of heart attacks and prevented the
formation of scar tissue. Improvements in heart function were seen even weeks after
the initial heart attack. The study was conducted by a team of researchers at
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. The researchers believe that
thymosin beta-4 changes the cell metabolism to make the cell more resistant to a lack
of oxygen. During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of oxygen because the coronary
arteries, which feed oxygen-rich blood to the heart, become clogged.
The next step is to determine the optimal dose of thymosin beta-4 and figure out how
long it may be administered after a heart attack. The new therapy has yet to be studied
in human beings.
heartcenteronline.com
Women
Gene Predicts Breast Cancer Recurrence
A genetic profiling test can now be used to determine which women with breast
cancer will benefit from chemotherapy and which can do without it. The test
could help about 80,000 women each year make better choices about how to treat
their disease. Half could safely skip chemo, according to results from a recent
study.
Most breast cancer cases that haven't spread to lymph nodes will not recur after
surgery, but doctors have no good ways to predict which ones will. They guess,
based on the size of a tumor and the woman's age, but they know that they are
giving many women chemotherapy who don't need it.
The new test, made by California-based Genomic Health, measures the activity of 21
genes to classify women as high, low or medium risk for recurrence. Previous studies
have established the test's ability to predict this. With this latest study, doctors
extended those findings to show that chemotherapy helps high-risk women a lot and
low-risk ones not at all.
The researchers looked at 651 women with early-stage breast cancer that had not spread
to lymph nodes and whose growth was affected by the hormone estrogen—a situation that
applies to nearly half of all cases diagnosed in the United States.
The lymphatic system (lymph nodes) is an essential part of the immune system, which
helps the body fight infections or cancers. The lymphatic system consists of a network
of vessels that drain tissue fluid (lymph) into lymph nodes, larger fluid-containing
lymph ducts, and specialized organs involved in the immune system. The lymph nodes
and organs act as a type of “filter,” removing invading organisms or abnormal cells
from the lymph fluid and “processing” them in a way that allows the body to fight these
harmful agents. Lymph is a clear whitish/yellowish fluid that contains white blood
cells (lymphocytes), proteins, and some red blood cells.
Whether the lymph nodes contain cancer cells is an important factor when staging
breast cancer, determining treatment, and predicting survival. Though breast cancer
has the potential to spread to other regions of the body first, it most commonly
spreads first to the axillary (underarm) lymph nodes. This is known as regional spread.
From there, the breast cancer can spread systematically to other areas of the body
(such as the bone, liver, lung, or brain).
Currently, chemotherapy is recommended for nearly all such women. Some of the women
studied got chemotherapy plus the drug tamoxifen; the rest got just tamoxifen.
Among the women classified as high-risk on the genetic test, 88 percent of those who
got chemotherapy were alive 10 years later without their cancer spreading to other
parts of the body, versus 60 percent of those who got tamoxifen alone. Low-risk women
saw hardly any difference about 95 percent had no spread. Chemotherapy is not as grueling
as it used to be decades ago but still often causes hair loss and nausea and should be
avoided if it won't benefit the patient.
reutershealth.com
New Treatment
Stem Cells Shown Ineffective as Heart Therapy
Despite researchers’ optimism about the potential benefits of stem cells,
a recent study conducted at the University of Chicago has shown disappointing
results. Scientists specifically examined how effective adult stem cells
are in treating both skeletal and cardiac disorders. They hoped to show that
adult stem cells could be transplanted into cardiac tissue regenerate new
cardiac muscle. If possible, this would create new therapy options for patients
who experience heart failure and heart attack.
Working in mice, the researchers isolated stem cells from bone marrow and
transplanted them into cardiac muscle. By examining the cardiac muscle, they
were able to determine if the transplanted cells had migrated into the heart
and matured into functional muscle cells. They found that the transplanted stem
cells had migrated into the heart, but they did not mature into new cardiac
muscle cells.
At issue was the cells' ability to produce a protein called sarcoglycan,
which is crucial for heart and skeletal muscle function. Upon investigation,
only two cardiac cells produced sarcoglycan, a clinically insignificant finding.
The skeletal muscle cells fared somewhat better.
These findings stand in contrast to previous studies, which had indicated that
adult stem cells from bone marrow could be induced to become cardiac muscle.
Clinical trials are already underway in patients who have had a heart attack
and early results are promising. Part of the discrepancy lies in the difficulty
of distinguishing transplanted stem cell-muscle cells from naturally occurring
muscle cells. The University of Chicago study was more rigorous than any to date
because it had identified a certain kind of easily traceable donor stem cell.
The next step in stem cell cardiac therapy is to find more flexible stem cells.
Some researchers are trying to isolate cardiac stem cells from adult cardiac
tissue. Others are studying the ability of embryonic stem cells, although this
is a politically charged field and the federal government has restricted the
number of embryonic stem cells lines available for research.
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Life Style
Study Highlights Benefits of Alcohol
Alcohol has been used medicinally throughout recorded history; its medicinal
properties are mentioned 191 times in the Old and New Testaments. As early as
the turn of the century, there was evidence that moderate consumption of alcohol
was associated with a decrease in the risk of heart attack. The evidence of
health benefits of moderate consumption has continued to grow over time.
Results from a recent study showed that consuming one or two alcoholic beverages
each day helps reduce plaque build up in the coronary arteries that supply blood
to the heart. This may help explain why moderate alcohol use has been tied to a
reduced risk of heart disease.
The findings are based on a study of 1795 subjects without heart disease who were
evaluated with CT scans to look for calcium deposits in the coronaries, an indicator
of plaque build-up.
Dr. Jacqueline C. M. Witteman, from Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, and
colleagues reported their findings in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Alcohol improves blood lipid profile and increases HDL ("good") cholesterol while
decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Alcohol decreases thrombosis (blood clotting) by reducing platelet aggregation and
fibrinogen while increasing fibrinolsys, the process of dissolving clots.
Seventeen percent of subjects consumed one or two alcoholic drinks per day.
Sixty-two percent of subjects consumed less than this amount and 21 percent
consumed more.
Subjects who consumed one or two drinks per day had the fewest calcium deposits,
while non-drinkers had the most. The other subjects fell between these two extremes.
Archives of Internal Medicine
Tech Talk
New Blood Pressure Reduction Technique Found
Ultrasounds break up blood clots in the brain and may help to treat strokes, new research performed at Canadian hospitals suggests. A stroke occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel and cuts off circulation, potentially causing death or permanent disability. Doctors give a drug called TPA by intravenous to dissolve clogs lodged in the brain.
What is tPA? Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a thrombolytic agent (clot-busting drug). It is approved for use in certain patients having a heart attack or stroke. The drug can dissolve blood clots, which cause most heart attacks and strokes.
How does tPA help people having a heart attack? Studies have shown that tPA and other clot-dissolving agents can reduce the amount of damage to the heart muscle and save lives. However, to be effective, they must be given within a few hours after symptoms begin.
How does tPA help people having a stroke? tPA has been shown to be effective in treating ischemic stroke. This kind of stroke is caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.
In 1996 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of tPA to treat ischemic stroke in the first three hours after the start of symptoms. This makes it very important for people who think they're having a stroke to seek help immediately. If given promptly, tPA can significantly reduce the effects of stroke and reduce permanent disability.
Researchers tested an experimental combination of TPA and ultrasound to treat stroke before brain tissues are starved of a blood supply. The study involved 126 patients. After three months, 42 per cent of patients who received the experimental treatment were fully recovered, compared to 29 per cent who had TPA alone.
Ultrasound is typically used to see inside the body, to check on the health of babies, and to see structures in the abdomen and the heart. And it is used to check up on the blood vessels of stroke victims. The risk of bleeding in the brain appeared to be small and about the same as with TPA alone. Vibrations from the high-intensity ultrasound waves may help to mix the drug or help TPA to stick to the clot better, the researchers speculate.
Doctors are planning a larger study, with the aim of eventually making the combination a standard treatment for stroke victims.
content.nejm.org
Fitness Watch
Diabetes Correlated with Obesity
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released
research that found that more than half of adult diabetics in the
United States are obese. Between 1999 and 2002, 54.8 percent of diabetics
over the age of 19 were obese. That compared with 45.7 percent in the same
age group between 1988 and 1994. When the category was expanded to include
diabetics who were obese or overweight, the percentage surged to 85.2 percent
in 1999-2002 compared with 78.5 percent in the earlier period.
A person was considered overweight if their body mass index, the most commonly
used method for calculating if a person weighs too much, was 25 to 29. Anyone
with a body mass index of 30 or greater was categorized as obese. The CDC,
which has been warning about an obesity epidemic in the nation, urged diabetics
to consult their health-care providers for advice on healthy eating, exercise
and other weight control measures.
In America, a changing environment has broadened food options and eating habits.
Grocery stores stock their shelves with a greater selection of products. Pre-packaged
foods, fast food restaurants, and soft drinks are also more accessible. Such
foods are fast and convenient but tend to be high in fat, sugar, and calories.
Choosing many foods from these areas may contribute to an excessive calorie intake.
Some foods are marketed as healthy, low fat, or fat-free, but may contain more
calories than the fat containing food they are designed to replace. It is important
to read food labels for nutritional information and to eat in moderation.
Portion size has also increased. People may be eating more during a meal or snack
because of larger portion sizes. This results in increased calorie consumption.
If the body does not burn off the extra calories consumed from larger portions,
fast food, or soft drinks, weight gain can occur.
Obesity, which increases the likelihood of heart disease, some types of cancer
and arthritis, has become twice as common in the nation since 1980. About 69
million people are obese or severely obese, according to the American Obesity
Association. The CDC study found that black diabetics had the highest rate of
obesity - 63 percent - between 1999 and 2002.
diabetesmonitor.com
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