WHSC News and Information
 



WHSC News Releases for February 1998





Feb 9 '98



NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK AT EMORY UNIVERSITY "Richard D. Klausner, M.D., director of the National Cancer Institute(NCI), will speak about current issues in cancer research on Wed., March 4, at 4 p.m., in the Emory University Hospital Auditorium. Klausner will appear at Emory as part of the Winship Cancer Center's Elkin Distinguished Lectureship Series." More

Feb 5 '98

previously embargoed


NAIVE T CELLS ARE RECONSTITUTED IN PATIENTS FOLLOWING THERAPY WITH PROTEASE INHIBITORS "CHICAGO -- The immune systems of HIV-positive patients receiving potent therapy with protease inhibitors are able to replenish their supply of "naive" CD4+ T cells in addition to their supply of CD4+ "memory" cells, even when the naive cells have been eliminated, according to a study conducted by Emory University and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers. Results of the research were presented at the 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago February 1-5." More

Feb 5 '98

previously embargoed


PREVENTIVE ANTIBIOTICS GREATLY REDUCE INCIDENCE OF MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM INFECTION IN AIDS PATIENTS " CHICAGO -- AIDS patients treated with preventive antibiotics (primary prophylaxis) have had a greatly reduced incidence of infection with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (DMAC), one of several opportunistic diseases common worldwide in patients with AIDS and the most common bacterial infection in people with HIV in the U.S." More

Feb 5 '98

previously embargoed


NOVEL NEW ASSAY MAY PROVIDE EARLIER DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS IN HIV-INFECTED NEWBORNS "CHICAGO -- A novel new assay that quantitatively detects reverse transcriptase (RT), an enzyme associated with HIV-1 particles, appears to detect HIV infection in the plasma of newborns during the first two weeks of life - up to two weeks earlier than the tests currently used. Because the medications used to treat HIV infection are potentially toxic and difficult to administer to newborns, having earlier diagnostic and prognostic information could be critically important, according to Emory University researcher Ronald Reisler, M.D., who presented test results on the new assay at the 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago Feb. 1-5." More

Feb 5 '98

previously embargoed


HIV-I VIRUS IS ACTIVELY PRODUCED IN THE FEMALE GENITAL TRACT AS WELL AS IN THE BLOOD "CHICAGO -- HIV-1 virus found in the female genital tract is produced in the vagina and is slightly different from, although related to, HIV-1 virus produced in the blood, according to a study by Emory University researchers. Jeffrey Lennox, M.D., Emory assistant professor of medicine (infectious diseases), conducted four different studies of the HIV-1 virus in vaginal secretions and determined that the virus was produced vaginally and was not simply leaking into vaginal secretions through the blood. He presented the results of his research at the 5th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago on Feb. 2." More

Feb 5 '98

previously embargoed


ABNORMAL FAT ACCUMULATION IS OBSERVED IN SOME HIV PATIENTS UNDERGOING PROTEASE INHIBITOR THERAPY "CHICAGO -- Researchers at Emory have observed and recorded data on HIV-positive adults who developed unusual deposits of fat, resembling a condition called benign symmetric lipomatosis, while undergoing protease inhibitor therapy. Benign symmetric lipomatosis is characterized by abnormal accumulations of unencapsulated fat over the shoulders and neck. This uncommon condition is observed primarily in men who abuse alcohol, but can also be associated with glucose intolerance and elevated blood lipids."More

Feb 3 '98

previously embargoed


AFRICAN SAMPLE FROM 1959--FIRST IDENTIFIED BY EMORY RESEARCHER--NOW FOUND TO BE EARLIEST AIDS VIRUS"A sample of HIV-1-seropositive blood plasma collected in 1959 in Africa is the earliest known authenticated case of HIV-1 infection in the world, according to a report by David D. Ho, M.D., of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, Rockefeller University, New York, and Andre J. Nahmias, M.D., of Emory University, and colleagues, in a report in the Feb. 5 issue of Nature."More

Feb 2 '98

POTENT ANTIRETROVIRAL EFFICACY OF LOW-DOSE FTC: INITIAL RESULTS FROM A PHASE I / II CLINICAL TRIAL "FTC, a new drug developed by scientists at Emory University for use against the AIDS virus and the Hepatitis B virus, has been shown to significantly reduce the viral load of HIV-1 in plasma at the first two dose levels in an ongoing Phase I / II trial in a small group of patients. FTC is an antiviral nucleoside analog in the same series as the drug 3TC. Preclinical results have shown that FTC's in vitro activity against HIV-1 is consistently greater than 3TC and that it possesses potent in vitro activity against hepatitis B (HBV)."More

Feb 2 '98

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION'S "HEART POWER" PROGRAM AT EMORY CLINICS "EMORY HEALTHCARE invites children to attend the American Heart Association's "Heart Power!" Program to learn more about heart health and the prevention of heart disease and stroke. A variety of educational tools teach children about the heart, healthy eating choices, the importance of physical activity and living tobacco free. For moreinformation or to register, call Emory HealthConnection at 404-778-7777." More

Feb 2 '98

THE EMORY CLINIC FORMALIZES RELATIONSHIP WITH EMORY HEALTHCARE, CREATES NEW BOARD "On Tuesday, Jan. 20, members of The Emory Clinic voted overwhelmingly to legally and financially move the Clinic under the umbrella of Emory Healthcare, making it an Emory Healthcare "operating company" along with Emory University Hospital, Crawford Long Hospital, and the Emory Children's Center, the largest pediatric multi-specialty group practice in Georgia. If the proposed merger of the Clifton Road components of Wesley Woods is completed as expected this spring, the newly formed Wesley Woods Center of Emory University, Inc. also will be a part of Emory Healthcare." More

Feb 2 '98

FEBRUARY HEARTCHECK SCREENINGS AT EMORY CLINICS "EMORY HEALTHCARE will provide low-cost HeartCheck screenings at selected clinic locations. The screenings will include: blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, weight and nutrition counseling, and consultation with a registered nurse." More

Feb 2 '98

EMORY HEARTWISE FOOD FAIRS AT PUBLIX "EMORY HEALTHCARE HeartWise Food fairs will offer a basic heart health questionnaire, nutrition counseling, heart healthy food displays and sampling, coupons for free HeartCheck Screenings, coupons for meals at participating HeartWise restaurants, a prize drawing for a free Valentine's Day Dinner for two, sample packs of Bayer Aspirin and information on the Emory Heart Center." More




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