United Press International - September 21, 2006
Kate Walker, UPI Correspondent

In 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled all human tissues sourced by the New Jersey-based company Biomedical Tissue Services after it became clear the company had failed to adequately screen the tissue samples and log donor information.

Now, 25 U.K. hospitals have been notified by the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency that tissue they imported came from Biomedical Tissue Services, and it was subject to the same patient risks that had been present in the company's U.S. operations.

The 25 hospitals across England and Wales have been mixed in their decision whether to notify patients of the potential risks inherent in their tissue grafts. While the bulk of the hospitals have notified the patients of the "negligible" risk of infection and have offered screening for those concerned, some hospitals decided that the potential upset caused was far greater than the risk itself -- and so have kept potentially affected patients in the dark.

According to investigations into the tissue samples sold by Biomedical Tissue Services, carried out by investigators in New York City, not only were tissues stripped from corpses illegally and without familial consent, but many of the certificates accompanying the stolen tissue had been doctored, altering both the causes of death and the donors' ages when they died.

The 25 affected hospitals were named by MHPRA after it had been decided that in this instance, concern about public safety outweighed potential risks regarding patient confidentiality.

###

According to new researched published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, smokers face a three-fold risk of contracting HIV.

While it has long been known that smoking weakens the immune system -- smoking has in the past been linked with increased risks of contracting diseases including sexually transmitted infections -- this is the first time that smoking has been linked with an increased HIV risk.

The study's authors examined a range of HIV research, including papers presented at AIDS conferences and academic databases, and found that out of six studies that had examined the link between smoking and HIV infection, five found an increased HIV risk for smokers.

The increased risk varied from study to study, from a low of a 60-percent increase to a worst-case scenario in which the risk was three-fold.

"The consistency of the findings is striking and represents a major strength of this review," the scientists wrote. "While the studies vary in quality, they include reports of high quality investigations using large sample sizes."

It is believed that the increased risk stems from the autoimmune responses that are changed by smoking, which is known to both inhibit the activity of white cells, which fight infection, and to reduce the rate at which the body can produce antibodies.

###

Some people just don't like vegetables. For others, scientists have discovered, it may be genetic.

According to new research published in the journal Current Biology, some people are genetically programmed to find glucosinolate, which affects iodine's transfer into the thyroid gland, as bitter and unpalatable.

Broccoli, turnips and watercress all contain glucosinolate, and tests found that those with a specific genetic construction -- two copies of the PAV gene -- rated those foods as 60 percent more bitter than those who lacked the double gene believed responsible.

Study author Dr. Paul Breslin wrote: "Overall, sensitive subjects rated glucosinolate-generating vegetables as 60 percent more bitter than did the insensitive subjects.

"Every individual glucosinolate-producing vegetable was rated as more bitter by the PAV/PAV than the AVI/AVI subjects. The difference in ratings reached significance for six of these vegetables: watercress, mustard greens, turnip, broccoli, rutabaga and horseradish.

"Glucosinolates in our vegetables block the formation of organic iodine and the transport of iodine into the thyroid, resulting in both retarded sexual maturation as well as mental retardation.

More than 1 billion people are at risk of thyroid insufficiency, which creates a strong selective pressure to detect these compounds in our diet and minimize intake, Breslin concluded.

060921
UP060929

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .