- Email: [email protected]
Novel reason for starting to smoke
Novel
*TSITIGPGQVFYRTGD peptide (corresponding to 309-324). tKSIHLGPGQAWYTTQE peptide (corresponding to 309-324). ‡YNKRKRIHIGPGRAFYTTKN peptide (corresponding to 305-324). §Dual reactive if ratio of optical density of both subtypes is less than 3.0. If ratio greater than 3.0, subtype is assigned to the one with higher optical density. 1fSera collected m 1994. 1113
sera
collected in 1992 and other 20
sera in
is
1994.
Table: Three distinct HIV-1 serotypes in HIV-1 infected Thai individuals with 3 different risk behaviours
reason
for
starting to smoke
SIR-A 61-year-old man has started smoking because he has become president of the Japan Tobacco Corporation. He was a non-smoker when he worked for the Ministry of Finance. Now, as head of a company with about 23000 employees, he has started smoking five cigarettes a day. According to a newspaper report,’1 90% of the male employees of Japan Tobacco smoke and almost all the executives do too. It seems that smoking is indispensable to promotion. Reading this article reminded me of a man who came to me last year with productive cough and exertional dyspnoea. He had been a cigarette "taster" in the company for 13 years, smoking 100 a day sometimes. His smoking index was 66 pack-years. A chest X-ray and scan suggested multiple bullae and blebs; arterial blood gas analysis revealed hypoxaemia; and tumour markers were increased. I advised him to stop smoking and change his job. He never came back. Hiroshi Kawane Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki City 701-01, Japan
from 13 of the bisexuals (2 subtype E, 1 subtype BThai) typable by these two distinct strain peptides, whereas 17 of 20 of the heterosexual group (15 of 20 were subtype E) and 14 of 16 of IVDUs (12 of 16 were BThai) were identifiable by these two peptides by enzyme immunoassay sera
were
1
Anon. The declaration of smoking by July 13, 3.
president. Asahi Shimbun 1994:
typing. To determine the possibility of other HIV-1strains in the untypable specimens (non-reactive E, BThai, and BMN peptides), in particular from the homosexual/bisexual groups, the V3 peptide (20 aminoacids long [305-324]) of the HIV- 1 MN strain, which is the prototype of the North American subtype B variant (see table for peptide sequence), was used in the subsequent analysis. The initially untypable sera from homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, and IVDU
individuals were identifiable as MN serotype in 9 of 12 , 8 of 10, 1 of 3, and 2 of 2, respectively. The table summarises the overall reactivity of sera from patients with three different risk behaviours to three distinct HIV-1 subtypes: subtype E, BThai, and BMN were found predominantly in heterosexual (75%), IVDUs (75%), and homosexual/bisexual individuals (52%), respectively. In addition, this report gives the first evidence to our knowledge of the association of the BMN subtype in Thai homosexual/bisexual individuals. Whether there are other HIV-1 strains in the untypable sera, whether the GPGR motif will be found in HIV-1 isolates circulating in most of these homosexual/bisexual individuals, and more importantly, whether superinfection in the dual reactive specimens is possible are currently under further investigation.
Aluminium and Alzheimer’s disease in Finchley, north London SIR-Harrington and colleagues (April 23, p 993) probe a deeper into the aetiology of Alzheimer’s disease and patients subjected to long-term aluminium exposure. A little remembered commercial operation that centred around the Borough of Finchley, north London, in the late 1930s might make an interesting epidemiological study for anyone with the necessary time and expertise. Around that time the Finchley Electricity Board provided Finchley residents with a free electric cooker and a set of heavy-duty aluminium little
saucepans to lure customers away from what was then traditional gas cooking habits. The saucepans were very well made and durable and I can remember my mother using them for many years. She also found that a way to make sure the insides of the saucepans remained brightly clear was to cook rhubarb or apples in them, which, of course, we consumed. If there is a dietary aluminium-Alzheimer’s link, then Finchley 1930s residents should show an incidence peak compared with other north Londoners whose electricity suppliers were less adventurous in their marketing. Eric Trimmer Yew Tree
Sasiwimol
Ubolyam, Kiat Ruxrungtham, Sunee Sirivichayakul, Kenji Okuda, Praphan Phanuphak
Department of Microbiology and Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thaitand; and Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
1
2 3 4
5
Ou C-Y, Takebe Y, Weniger BG, et al. Independent introduction of two major HIV-1 genotypes into two disctinct high-risk populations in Thailand. Lancet 1993; 341: 1171-74. McCutchan FE, Hegerich PA, Brennan TP, et al. Genetic variants of HIV-1 in Thailand. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 1992; 8: 887-1895. Weniger BG, Takebe Y, Ou C-Y, et al. The molecular epidemiology of HIV in Asia. AIDS (in press). Delwart EL, Shpaer EG, Louwagie J, et al. Genetic relationships determined by a DNA heteroduplex mobility assay: analysis of env genes. Science 1993; 262: 1257-61. Pau C-P, Lee-Thomas S, Auwanit W, et al. Highly specific V3-peptide enzyme immunoassay for serotyping HIV-1 specimens from Thailand. AIDS 1993; 7: 337-40.
486
Lodge, Love Lane, Bembndge, Isle of Wight P035 5RY,
UK
CORRECTIONS Age at menarche-The letter by A Baxter-Jones and others (Feb 12, p 423) cites the Frisch hypothesis, giving a 1970 reference. A more appropriate reference is Science 1974; 185: 949-51. Culture of fetal erythroid cells from maternal peripheral blood-In the figure accompanying the letter by Y-MD Lo and colleagues (July 23, p 264) the top and bottom illustrations were transposed.
Preliminary evidence from magnetic resonance imaging for reduction in disease activity after lymphocyte depletion in multiple sclerosis-In the summary of this article by T Moreau and colleagues (July 30, p 298) lines 18/19 should have read "... rate ratios were 0.15 (95% CI 0-09-0-24) for all
seven
patients...".
*TSITIGPGQVFYRTGD peptide (corresponding to 309-324). tKSIHLGPGQAWYTTQE peptide (corresponding to 309-324). ‡YNKRKRIHIGPGRAFYTTKN peptide (corresponding to 305-324). §Dual reactive if ratio of optical density of both subtypes is less than 3.0. If ratio greater than 3.0, subtype is assigned to the one with higher optical density. 1fSera collected m 1994. 1113
sera
collected in 1992 and other 20
sera in
is
1994.
Table: Three distinct HIV-1 serotypes in HIV-1 infected Thai individuals with 3 different risk behaviours
reason
for
starting to smoke
SIR-A 61-year-old man has started smoking because he has become president of the Japan Tobacco Corporation. He was a non-smoker when he worked for the Ministry of Finance. Now, as head of a company with about 23000 employees, he has started smoking five cigarettes a day. According to a newspaper report,’1 90% of the male employees of Japan Tobacco smoke and almost all the executives do too. It seems that smoking is indispensable to promotion. Reading this article reminded me of a man who came to me last year with productive cough and exertional dyspnoea. He had been a cigarette "taster" in the company for 13 years, smoking 100 a day sometimes. His smoking index was 66 pack-years. A chest X-ray and scan suggested multiple bullae and blebs; arterial blood gas analysis revealed hypoxaemia; and tumour markers were increased. I advised him to stop smoking and change his job. He never came back. Hiroshi Kawane Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki City 701-01, Japan
from 13 of the bisexuals (2 subtype E, 1 subtype BThai) typable by these two distinct strain peptides, whereas 17 of 20 of the heterosexual group (15 of 20 were subtype E) and 14 of 16 of IVDUs (12 of 16 were BThai) were identifiable by these two peptides by enzyme immunoassay sera
were
1
Anon. The declaration of smoking by July 13, 3.
president. Asahi Shimbun 1994:
typing. To determine the possibility of other HIV-1strains in the untypable specimens (non-reactive E, BThai, and BMN peptides), in particular from the homosexual/bisexual groups, the V3 peptide (20 aminoacids long [305-324]) of the HIV- 1 MN strain, which is the prototype of the North American subtype B variant (see table for peptide sequence), was used in the subsequent analysis. The initially untypable sera from homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, and IVDU
individuals were identifiable as MN serotype in 9 of 12 , 8 of 10, 1 of 3, and 2 of 2, respectively. The table summarises the overall reactivity of sera from patients with three different risk behaviours to three distinct HIV-1 subtypes: subtype E, BThai, and BMN were found predominantly in heterosexual (75%), IVDUs (75%), and homosexual/bisexual individuals (52%), respectively. In addition, this report gives the first evidence to our knowledge of the association of the BMN subtype in Thai homosexual/bisexual individuals. Whether there are other HIV-1 strains in the untypable sera, whether the GPGR motif will be found in HIV-1 isolates circulating in most of these homosexual/bisexual individuals, and more importantly, whether superinfection in the dual reactive specimens is possible are currently under further investigation.
Aluminium and Alzheimer’s disease in Finchley, north London SIR-Harrington and colleagues (April 23, p 993) probe a deeper into the aetiology of Alzheimer’s disease and patients subjected to long-term aluminium exposure. A little remembered commercial operation that centred around the Borough of Finchley, north London, in the late 1930s might make an interesting epidemiological study for anyone with the necessary time and expertise. Around that time the Finchley Electricity Board provided Finchley residents with a free electric cooker and a set of heavy-duty aluminium little
saucepans to lure customers away from what was then traditional gas cooking habits. The saucepans were very well made and durable and I can remember my mother using them for many years. She also found that a way to make sure the insides of the saucepans remained brightly clear was to cook rhubarb or apples in them, which, of course, we consumed. If there is a dietary aluminium-Alzheimer’s link, then Finchley 1930s residents should show an incidence peak compared with other north Londoners whose electricity suppliers were less adventurous in their marketing. Eric Trimmer Yew Tree
Sasiwimol
Ubolyam, Kiat Ruxrungtham, Sunee Sirivichayakul, Kenji Okuda, Praphan Phanuphak
Department of Microbiology and Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thaitand; and Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
1
2 3 4
5
Ou C-Y, Takebe Y, Weniger BG, et al. Independent introduction of two major HIV-1 genotypes into two disctinct high-risk populations in Thailand. Lancet 1993; 341: 1171-74. McCutchan FE, Hegerich PA, Brennan TP, et al. Genetic variants of HIV-1 in Thailand. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 1992; 8: 887-1895. Weniger BG, Takebe Y, Ou C-Y, et al. The molecular epidemiology of HIV in Asia. AIDS (in press). Delwart EL, Shpaer EG, Louwagie J, et al. Genetic relationships determined by a DNA heteroduplex mobility assay: analysis of env genes. Science 1993; 262: 1257-61. Pau C-P, Lee-Thomas S, Auwanit W, et al. Highly specific V3-peptide enzyme immunoassay for serotyping HIV-1 specimens from Thailand. AIDS 1993; 7: 337-40.
486
Lodge, Love Lane, Bembndge, Isle of Wight P035 5RY,
UK
CORRECTIONS Age at menarche-The letter by A Baxter-Jones and others (Feb 12, p 423) cites the Frisch hypothesis, giving a 1970 reference. A more appropriate reference is Science 1974; 185: 949-51. Culture of fetal erythroid cells from maternal peripheral blood-In the figure accompanying the letter by Y-MD Lo and colleagues (July 23, p 264) the top and bottom illustrations were transposed.
Preliminary evidence from magnetic resonance imaging for reduction in disease activity after lymphocyte depletion in multiple sclerosis-In the summary of this article by T Moreau and colleagues (July 30, p 298) lines 18/19 should have read "... rate ratios were 0.15 (95% CI 0-09-0-24) for all
seven
patients...".