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University of Washington School of Medicine
Online News
Vol. 12, No. 6
Feb. 8, 2008
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To view an archived version of Online News on the UW
Medicine Web site, visit:
http://www.uwmedicine.org/Global/NewsAndEvents/somnews/index.htm
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This week’s news:
* Use of baby personal care products associated with higher levels of phthalates in urine, UW study finds
* Herpes medication does not reduce risk of HIV infection in individuals with HSV-2, according to international clinical trial led by the UW
* Richard Palmiter to discuss Transgenic Legacy in Science in Medicine Lecture, scheduled for Feb. 13
* Nominations being accepted for David Thorud Leadership Award, which recognizes UW staff and faculty for exceptional leadership in support of the university's core values
* Ronald Lemire, longtime UW faculty member, Children's Hospital physician, and co-founder of WWAMI regional medical education program: 1933-2008
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BABY PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED WITH URINE PHTHALATES
Babies recently treated with infant personal care products such as lotion, shampoo, and powder, were more likely to have manmade chemicals called phthalates in their urine than other babies, according to UW and Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute study appearing in the February issue of the journal Pediatrics. Phthalates (pronounced thowl-ates) are added to many personal care and cosmetic products, as well many common household plastic and vinyl products, and some studies suggest they may affect reproductive development in humans.
Animal-based studies of phthalates have found that the synthetic chemicals can harm reproductive system development, and studies in humans have found that prenatal exposure or exposure through breast milk can alter hormone concentrations. Early-childhood exposure has not been extensively studied, so additional research is needed to determine if phthalate exposure can indeed cause reproductive development problems or other adverse effects in infants.
In this study, the researchers set out to see if use of personal care products was associated with urine phthalate concentrations. To accomplish this, they collected urine samples from 163 infants aged 2 months to 28 months, and measured the levels of nine different phthalates in those urine samples. They also had the babies' mothers fill out questionnaires on their use of infant personal care products in the past 24 hours.
When they cross-referenced the data, they found that the use of baby powder, lotion, and shampoo were each strongly associated with higher phthalate levels in the urine. The use of baby wipes and diaper cream were not strongly associated with increased levels of phthalates. The scientists also found that every baby had detectable levels of at least one phthalate in their urine, and about 81 percent of the infants had detectable levels of seven or more phthalates. Babies who were 8 months old or younger had stronger associations between product use and phthalate concentrations, as did babies whose mothers used more infant personal care products.
Phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose, and eczema. Babies may be more at risk than children or adults, the researchers said, because their reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems are still developing.
The study was led by Sheela Sathyanarayana, an acting assistant professor of pediatrics at the UW and a researcher with Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute.
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HERPES MEDICATION DOES NOT REDUCE HIV ACQUISITION, STUDY FINDS
An international clinical trial led by the UW has found that acyclovir, a common medication for treating herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), the most common cause of genital herpes, does not reduce the risk of HIV infection when taken by people infected with HSV-2. Multiple studies have shown that people with HSV-2 have a higher risk of acquiring HIV. Researchers had hoped that acyclovir's ability to suppress the herpes virus, and its associated genital sores and breaks in the skin, could cut down on the likelihood of HIV being transmitted to a person with HSV-2 during sexual intercourse.
The Phase III clinical trial was led by the UW in coordination with the HIV Prevention Trials Network, an international consortium funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the National Institutes of Health. The findings were presented this week at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. The study was led by Connie Celum, UW professor of global health and medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease and director of the International Clinical Research Center in the UW Department of Global Health.
Though the study did not find that acyclovir prevented HIV acquisition, it did find that the drug reduced genital ulcers associated with HSV-2. More research is needed on the mechanisms through which HSV-2 acts as a risk factor for HIV, the researchers said, and how that knowledge might be put to use in reducing the spread of HIV. Multiple studies have shown that people with HSV-2 have a two-fold increase in their risk of acquiring HIV.
This study followed up on those results to test the theory that suppressing HSV-2 could cut down on HIV acquisition. Launched in 2003, and with more than 3,000 participants in nine study sites in Peru, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the United States, it was the largest study yet of herpes suppression. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a standard daily dose of acyclovir, 400 mg twice a day. Both the placebo and treatment groups received standard HIV-prevention treatment, which includes being supplied with condoms and given extensive counseling on how to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
Researchers found no statistically significant difference between the treatment and placebo groups. The acyclovir treatment did succeed in reducing genital ulcers -- participants in the treatment group had a 37 percent reduction in genital ulcer incidence, and a significantly lower proportion of ulcers due to HSV-2.
The study participants have been informed of the findings and are being counseled on the continued need to avoid HIV exposure. Volunteers who became infected with HIV during the trial have been referred for appropriate medical care and treatment. For more information about the study, visit:
http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=39542
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PALMITER TO SPEAK ON TRANSGENIC LEGACY AT SCIENCE IN MEDICINE LECTURE
Richard Palmiter, UW professor of biochemistry and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, will present Transgenic Legacy as the next Science in Medicine Lecture, Wednesday, Feb. 13. The lecture takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in Hogness Auditorium, A-420, Health Sciences Center.
Palmiter, who is also an adjunct professor of genome sciences, is best known for his development of transgenic mouse technology in the early 1980s in collaboration with Ralph Brinster at the University of Pennsylvania. The transgenic work covered many areas, ranging from identification of cell-specific enhancers, to regulation of growth, and development of animal models of disease. During the last decade his group has continued to use mouse genetic techniques to explore how neurotransmitter signaling controls mouse behavior.
This lecture will be simulcast at Harborview Medical Center in the Research & Training Building auditorium and at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System -- Seattle Division, Bldg. 1, Room 518, American Lake Division, Bldg. 2, Room 343, and the VA - HSR&D Met Park Conference Room, E-14.
This lecture is open to all faculty, staff and students. No registration is required. For more information, contact Vee White at veewhite@u.washington.edu or 206-543-8319.
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NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR THORUD LEADERSHIP AWARD
Nominations are being accepted for the David B. Thorud Leadership Award, an annual award given to one UW faculty member and one staff member for exceptional leadership that encompasses the institution’s core values of integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation and respect.
The award was created in coordination with the Leadership, Community and Values Initiative to honor the longtime service of Thorud, a former acting provost and dean of the College of Forest Resources. Each winner receives $2,500.
One-page letters of nomination should be sent to the Thorud Leadership Selection Committee, c/o Mindy Kornberg, at mindyk@u.washington.edu . The deadline is Thursday, Feb. 14.
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RONALD LEMIRE, LONGTIME UW FACULTY MEMBER: 1933-2008
Ronald Lemire, a longtime UW faculty member and Seattle Children's Hospital physician and administrator, died Feb. 4. He was 74.
Lemire was a UW professor of pediatrics in the Division of Genetics and Developmental Medicine, and served as director of inpatient services at Seattle Children's. He served on the UW faculty for more than 40 years, and was one of the founders of the WWAMI regional medical education program, which provides training for physicians in the Pacific Northwest.
Ronald Lemire was a UW institution, and an outstanding teacher, mentor, advisor, and friend, said F. Bruder Stapleton, UW professor and chair of pediatrics and chief academic officer at Seattle Children's. He had a profound impact on the health of children in the Northwest, and played a huge role in the education of the region's physicians, said Paul Ramsey, dean of the UW School of Medicine.
Lemire served in the U.S. Navy before coming to the UW to earn his undergraduate and medical degrees. He completed his internship at Haborview Medical Center and his pediatrics residency at the UW. He served as chief resident at Seattle Children's Hospital, and completed postdoctoral fellowships in embryology-teratology and neuroembryology-neuropathology at the UW.
Lemire joined the UW faculty as an instructor in 1967, and attained the rank of full professor by 1977. He served in several leadership positions at the UW and Children's, including director of the pediatric residency program, director of the pediatric WWAMI regional medical education program, and acting chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He was a leader in the field of teratology, the study of disfiguring birth defects, and authored many books and articles in his career as a researcher.
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Justin Reedy, editor:
206-685-0382, jreedy@u.washington.edu
Online News is copyright 2008. All rights, including electronic
redistribution, are reserved.
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