Cardiogenic shock due to acute severe mitral regurgitation complicating acute myocardial infarction: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we use emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries in cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to define the outcomes of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) due to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND

Methods for early identification and optimal treatment of such patients have not been defined.

METHODS

The SHOCK Trial Registry enrolled 1,190 patients with CS complicating AMI. We compared 1) the cohort with severe mitral regurgitation (MR, n = 98) to the cohort with predominant left ventricular failure (LVF, n = 879), and 2) the MR patients who underwent valve surgery (n = 43) to those who did not (n = 51).

RESULTS

Shock developed early after MI in both the MR (median 12.8 h) and LVF (median 6.2 h) cohorts. The MR patients were more often female (52% vs. 37%, p = 0.004) and less likely to have ST elevation at shock diagnosis (41% vs. 63%, p < 0.001). The MR index MI was more frequently inferior (55% vs. 44%, p = 0.039) or posterior (32% vs. 17%, p = 0.002) than that of LVF and much less frequently anterior (34% vs. 59%, p < 0.001). Despite having higher mean LVEF (0.37 vs. 0.30, p = 0.001) the MR cohort had similar in-hospital mortality (55% vs. 61%, p = 0.277). The majority of MR patients did not undergo mitral valve surgery. Those undergoing surgery exhibited higher mean LVEF than those not undergoing surgery; nevertheless, 39% died in hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

The data highlight opportunities for early identification and intervention to potentially decrease the devastating mortality and morbidity of severe post-myocardial infarction MR.

Implications of the timing of onset of cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries for cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

We sought to examine the implications of the timing of onset of cardiogenic shock (CS) after acute myocardial infarction (MI).

BACKGROUND

Little information is available about the relationships between timing, clinical substrate, management and outcomes of shock.

METHODS

The multinational SHOCK Trial Registry enrolled MI patients with CS from 1993 to 1997. Cardiogenic shock was predominantly attributable to left ventricular (LV) failure in 815 Registry patients for whom temporal data were available. We examined factors related to the timing of shock onset and the relation of temporal onset to in-hospital outcomes.

RESULTS

Overall, shock developed a median of 6.2 h after MI symptom onset. Shock onset varied by culprit artery: left main, median 1.7 h; right, 3.5 h; circumflex, 3.9 h; left anterior descending (LAD), 11.0 h; saphenous vein graft, 10.9 h (p = 0.025). Early shock (< 24 h) occurred in 74.1% and was associated with chest pain at shock onset, ST-segment elevation in two or more leads, multiple infarct locations, inferior MI, left main disease and smoking. Late shock (> or = 24 h) was associated with recurrent ischemia, Q waves in two or more leads and LAD culprit vessel. Mortality was higher in patients with early versus late shock (62.6% vs. 53.6%, p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

Shock onset after acute MI occurred within 24 h in 74% of the patients with predominant LV failure. Mortality was slightly higher in patients developing shock early rather than later. Many factors influence when shock develops, which has implications for its management.

The clinical profile of patients with suspected cardiogenic shock due to predominant left ventricular failure: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries in cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate the frequency of pulmonary congestion and associated clinical and hemodynamic findings in patients with suspected cardiogenic shock (CS).

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of pulmonary congestion in the setting of CS is uncertain.

METHODS

The 571 SHOCK Trial Registry patients with predominant left ventricular failure (LVF) were divided into four groups: Group A = no pulmonary congestion/no hypoperfusion = 14 (3%), Group B = isolated pulmonary congestion = 32 (6%), Group C = isolated hypoperfusion = 158 (28%) and Group D = congestion with hypoperfusion = 367 (64%). Statistical comparisons between Group C and D only, with regard to patient demographics, hemodynamics, treatment and outcome, were made.

RESULTS

A significant proportion of patients with shock had no pulmonary congestion (Group C = 28%, 95% CI, 24% to 31%). Age and gender in this group were similar to Group D. Group C patients were less likely to have a prior MI (p = 0.028), congestive heart failure (p = 0.005) and renal insufficiency (p = 0.032), and the index MI was less likely to be anterior (p = 0.044). Cardiac output, cardiac index and ejection fraction were similar for the two groups but pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was slightly lower for Group C (22 vs. 24 mm Hg, p = 0.012). Treatment with thrombolysis, angioplasty and bypass surgery was similar in the two groups. In-hospital mortality rates for Groups C and D were 70% and 60%, respectively (p = 0.036). After adjustment, this difference was no longer statistically significant (p = 0.153).

CONCLUSIONS

Absence of pulmonary congestion at initial clinical evaluation does not exclude a diagnosis of CS due to predominant LVF and is not associated with a better prognosis.

Cardiogenic shock with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded coronaries for Cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the outcomes of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (MI).

BACKGROUND

Such patients represent a high-risk (ST-segment depression) or low-risk (normal or nonspecific electrocardiographic findings) group for whom optimal therapy, particularly in the setting of shock, is unknown.

METHODS

We assessed characteristics and outcomes of 881 patients with CS due to predominant left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the SHOCK Trial Registry.

RESULTS

Patients with non-ST-segment elevation MI (n = 152) were significantly older and had significantly more prior MI, heart failure, azotemia, bypass surgery, and peripheral vascular disease than patients with ST-elevation MI (n = 729). On average, the groups had similar in-hospital LV ejection fractions (approximately 30%), but patients with non-ST-elevation MI had a lower highest creatine kinase and were more likely to have triple-vessel disease. Among patients selected for coronary angiography, the left circumflex artery was the culprit vessel in 34.6% of non-ST-elevation versus 13.4% of ST-elevation MI patients (p = 0.001). Despite having more recurrent ischemia (25.7% vs. 17.4%, p = 0.058), non-ST-elevation patients underwent angiography less often (52.6% vs. 64.1%, p = 0.010). The proportion undergoing revascularization was similar (36.8% for non-ST-elevation vs. 41.9% ST-elevation MI, p = 0.277). In-hospital mortality also was similar in the two groups (62.5% for non-ST-elevation vs. 60.4% ST-elevation MI). After adjustment, ST-segment elevation MI did not independently predict in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.83 to 2.02; p = 0.252).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with CS and non-ST-segment elevation MI have a higher-risk profile than shock patients with ST-segment elevation, but similar in-hospital mortality. More recurrent ischemia and less angiography represent opportunities for earlier intervention, and early reperfusion therapy for circumflex artery occlusion should be considered when non-ST-elevation MI causes CS.

Diabetes mellitus in cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries for cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

We sought to examine the role of diabetes mellitus in cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the SHOCK Trial Registry.

BACKGROUND

The characteristics, outcomes and optimal treatment of diabetic patients with CS complicating AMI have not been well described.

METHODS

Baseline characteristics, clinical and hemodynamic measures, treatment variables, shock etiologies and comorbid conditions were compared for 379 diabetic and 784 nondiabetic patients. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between diabetes and in-hospital mortality, after adjustment for baseline differences.

RESULTS

Diabetics were less likely than nondiabetics to undergo thrombolysis (28% vs. 37%; p = 0.002) or attempted revascularization (40% vs. 49%; p = 0.008). The survival benefit for diabetics selected for percutaneous or surgical revascularization (55% vs. 19% without revascularization) was similar to that for nondiabetics (59% vs. 25%). Overall unadjusted in-hospital mortality was significantly higher for diabetics (67% vs. 58%; p = 0.007), but diabetes was only a borderline predictor of mortality after adjustment for baseline and treatment differences (odds ratio for death, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.84; p = 0.051).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetics with CS complicating AMI have a higher-risk profile at baseline, but after adjustment, diabetics have an in-hospital survival rate that is only marginally lower than that of nondiabetics. Diabetics who undergo revascularization derive a survival benefit similar to that of nondiabetics.

Outcome and profile of ventricular septal rupture with cardiogenic shock after myocardial infarction: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries in cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

We wished to assess the profile and outcomes of patients with ventricular septal rupture (VSR) in the setting of cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (MI).

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock is often seen with VSR complicating acute MI. Despite surgical therapy, mortality in such patients is high.

METHODS

We analyzed 939 patients enrolled in the SHOCK Trial Registry of CS in acute infarction, comparing 55 patients whose shock was associated with VSR with 884 patients who had predominant left ventricular failure.

RESULTS

Rupture occurred a median 16 h after infarction. Patients with VSR tended to be older (p = 0.053), were more often female (p = 0.002) and less often had previous infarction (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.015) or smoking history (p = 0.033). They also underwent right-heart catheterization, intra-aortic balloon pumping and bypass surgery significantly more often. Although patients with rupture had less severe coronary disease, their in-hospital mortality was higher (87% vs. 61%, p < 0.001). Surgical repair was performed in 31 patients with rupture (21 had concomitant bypass surgery); 6 (19%) survived. Of the 24 patients managed medically, only 1 survived.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a high in-hospital mortality rate when CS develops as a result of VSR. Ventricular septal rupture may occur early after infarction, and women and the elderly may be more susceptible. Although the prognosis is poor, surgery remains the best therapeutic option in this setting.

Cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction--etiologies, management and outcome: a report from the SHOCK Trial Registry. SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries for cardiogenic shocK?

OBJECTIVES

This SHOCK Study report seeks to provide an overview of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) complicating acute myocardial infarction (MI) and the outcome with various treatments. The outcome of patients undergoing revascularization in the SHOCK Trial Registry and SHOCK Trial are compared.

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock is the leading cause of death in patients hospitalized for acute MI. The randomized SHOCK Trial reported improved six-month survival with early revascularization.

METHODS

Patients with CS complicating acute MI who were not enrolled in the concurrent randomized trial were registered. Patient characteristics were recorded as were procedures and vital status at hospital discharge.

RESULTS

Between April 1993 and August 1997, 1,190 patients with CS were registered and 232 were randomized in the SHOCK Trial. Predominant left ventricular failure (78.5%) was most common, with isolated right ventricular shock in 2.8%, severe mitral regurgitation in 6.9%, ventricular septal rupture in 3.9% and tamponade in 1.4%. In-hospital Registry mortality was 60%, with ventricular septal rupture associated with a significantly higher mortality (87.3%) than all other categories (p < 0.01). The risk profile and mortality were lower for Registry patients who were managed with thrombolytic therapy and/or intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation, coronary angiography, angioplasty and/or coronary artery bypass surgery. After adjusting for these differences, the extent to which survival was improved with early revascularization was similar to that observed in the randomized SHOCK Trial.

CONCLUSIONS

In this prospective Registry the etiology of CS was a mechanical complication in 12%. The similarity of the beneficial treatment effect in patients undergoing early revascularization in the SHOCK Trial Registry and SHOCK Trial provides strong support for the generalizability of the SHOCK Trial results.

Decreased serotonergic receptor binding in rhombic lip-derived regions of the medulla oblongata in the sudden infant death syndrome

The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is postulated to result from a failure of homeostatic responses to life-threatening challenges (e.g. asphyxia, hypercapnia) during sleep. The ventral medulla participates in sleep-related homeostatic responses, including chemoreception, arousal, airway reflex control, thermoregulation, respiratory drive, and blood pressure regulation, in part via serotonin and its receptors. The ventral medulla in humans contains the arcuate nucleus, in which we have shown isolated defects in muscarinic and kainate receptor binding in SIDS victims. We also have demonstrated that the arcuate nucleus is anatomically linked to the nucleus raphé obscurus, a medullary region with serotonergic neurons. We tested the hypothesis that serotonergic receptor binding is decreased in both the arcuate nucleus and nucleus raphé obscurus in SIDS victims. Using quantitative autoradiography, 3H-lysergic acid diethylamide (3H-LSD binding) to serotonergic receptors (5-HT1A-D and 5-HT2 subtypes) was measured blinded in 19 brainstem nuclei. Cases were classified as SIDS (n = 52), acute controls (infants who died suddenly and in whom a complete autopsy established a cause of death) (n = 15), or chronic cases with oxygenation disorders (n = 17). Serotonergic binding was significantly lowered in the SIDS victims compared with controls in the arcuate nucleus (SIDS, 6 +/- 1 fmol/mg tissue; acutes, 19 +/- 1; and chronics, 16 +/- 1; p = 0.0001) and n. raphé obscurus (SIDS, 28 +/- 3 fmol/mg tissue; acutes, 66 +/- 6; and chronics, 59 +/- 1; p = 0.0001). Binding, however, was also significantly lower (p < 0.05) in 4 other regions that are integral parts of the medullary raphé/serotonergic system, and/or are derived, like the arcuate nucleus and nucleus raphé obscurus, from the same embryonic anlage (rhombic lip). These data suggest that a larger neuronal network than the arcuate nucleus alone is involved in the pathogenesis of SIDS, that is, a network composed of inter-related serotonergic nuclei of the ventral medulla that are involved in homeostatic mechanisms, and/or are derived from a common embryonic anlage.

Acute myocardial infarction complicated by systemic hypoperfusion without hypotension: report of the SHOCK trial registry

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock is usually characterized by inadequate cardiac output and sustained hypotension. However, following a large myocardial infarction, peripheral hypoperfusion can occur with relatively well maintained systolic blood pressure, a condition known as nonhypotensive cardiogenic shock. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of patients with this condition.

METHODS

The SHOCK trial registry prospectively enrolled patients with suspected cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction. We identified a group of 49 patients who presented with nonhypotensive shock, defined as clinical evidence of peripheral hypoperfusion with a systolic blood pressure >90 mm Hg without vasopressor circulatory support. Clinical characteristics, hemodynamic data, and outcomes in these patients were compared with a group of 943 patients with classic cardiogenic shock with hypotension. The age, gender, and distributions of coronary risk factors were similar in both groups.

RESULTS

Patients with nonhypotensive shock were more likely to have an anterior wall myocardial infarction (71% versus 53%, P = 0.03). Both groups of patients had similar rates of treatment with thrombolytic therapy, angioplasty, and bypass surgery. Patients with nonhypotensive shock had an in-hospital mortality rate of 43% as compared with a rate of 66% among patients who had classic cardiogenic shock with hypotension (P = 0.001). Mortality among 76 patients who presented with a systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg but no hypoperfusion was 26%.

CONCLUSIONS

Even in the presence of normal blood pressure, clinical signs of peripheral hypoperfusion, which may be subtle, are associated with a substantial risk of in-hospital death following acute myocardial infarction.

Design and implementation of the North American Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry

The Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry (PCMR) was established to describe the epidemiologic features and clinical course of selected cardiomyopathies in patients aged 18 years or younger and to promote the development of etiology-specific treatments. Sixty-one private and institutional pediatric cardiomyopathy practices in the United States and Canada were recruited to participate in the PCMR. The registry consists of a prospective, population-based cohort of patients in 2 regions (New England and the Central Southwestern United States) and a retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed between 1991 and 1996. Annual follow-up data are collected on all patients. As of June 1999, the PCMR consisted of 337 prospectively identified and 990 retrospectively identified patients. The PCMR has demonstrated the feasibility of establishing a large database of sociodemographic and clinical information on children with pediatric cardiomyopathy. Through this cooperative effort, the PCMR will obtain precise estimates of the incidence of pediatric cardiomyopathy and a better understanding of the natural history of this disease.

Registration of three-dimensional MR and CT studies of the cervical spine

A three-dimensional image registration technique for CT and MR studies of the cervical spine was evaluated for feasibility and efficacy. Registration by means of external fiducial markers was slightly more accurate than registration by anatomic landmarks. The interrelationships between bony (eg, neural foramina) and soft tissue structures (eg, nerve roots) in the cervical spine were more conspicuous on registered images than on conventional displays. Registration of CT and MR images may be used to examine more precisely the relationships between bony and soft tissue structures of the cervical spine.

Prediction of adverse outcomes in children with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND

The ability to identify infants with sickle cell anemia who are likely to have severe complications later in life would permit accurate prognostication and tailoring of therapy to match disease-related risks and facilitate planning of clinical trials. We attempted to define the features of such babies by following the clinical course of 392 children with sickle cell disease from infancy to about the age of 10 years.

METHODS

We analyzed the records of 392 infants who received the diagnosis of homozygous sickle cell anemia or sickle cell-Beta(0)-thalassemia before the age of six months and for whom comprehensive clinical and laboratory data were recorded prospectively; data were available for a mean (+/-SD) of 10.0+/-4.8 years. Results obtained before the age of two years were evaluated to determine whether they predicted the outcome later in life.

RESULTS

Of the 392 infants in the cohort, 70 (18 percent) subsequently had an adverse outcome, defined as death (18 patients [26 percent]), stroke (25 [36 percent]) frequent pain (17 [24 percent]), or recurrent acute chest syndrome (10 [14 percent]). Using multivariate analysis, we found three statistically significant predictors of an adverse outcome: an episode of dactylitis before the age of one year (relative risk of an adverse outcome, 2.55; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.39 to 4.67), a hemoglobin level of less than 7 g per deciliter (relative risk, 2.47; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.14 to 5.33), and leukocytosis in the absence of infection (relative risk, 1.80; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.05 to 3.09).

CONCLUSIONS

Three easily identifiable manifestations of sickle cell disease that may appear in the first two years of life (dactylitis, severe anemia, and leukocytosis) can help to predict the possibility of severe sickle cell disease later in life.

Early revascularization in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock. SHOCK Investigators. Should We Emergently Revascularize Occluded Coronaries for Cardiogenic Shock

BACKGROUND

The leading cause of death in patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction is cardiogenic shock. We conducted a randomized trial to evaluate early revascularization in patients with cardiogenic shock.

METHODS

Patients with shock due to left ventricular failure complicating myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to emergency revascularization (152 patients) or initial medical stabilization (150 patients). Revascularization was accomplished by either coronary-artery bypass grafting or angioplasty. Intraaortic balloon counterpulsation was performed in 86 percent of the patients in both groups. The primary end point was mortality from all causes at 30 days. Six-month survival was a secondary end point.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 66+/-10 years, 32 percent were women and 55 percent were transferred from other hospitals. The median time to the onset of shock was 5.6 hours after infarction, and most infarcts were anterior in location. Ninety-seven percent of the patients assigned to revascularization underwent early coronary angiography, and 87 percent underwent revascularization; only 2.7 percent of the patients assigned to medical therapy crossed over to early revascularization without clinical indication. Overall mortality at 30 days did not differ significantly between the revascularization and medical-therapy groups (46.7 percent and 56.0 percent, respectively; difference, -9.3 percent; 95 percent confidence interval for the difference, -20.5 to 1.9 percent; P=0.11). Six-month mortality was lower in the revascularization group than in the medical-therapy group (50.3 percent vs. 63.1 percent, P=0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with cardiogenic shock, emergency revascularization did not significantly reduce overall mortality at 30 days. However, after six months there was a significant survival benefit. Early revascularization should be strongly considered for patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Silent cerebral infarcts in sickle cell anemia: a risk factor analysis. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

BACKGROUND

Silent infarcts have been reported in 17% of young patients with sickle cell disease and are associated with impaired performance on standardized psychometric tests. Risk factors for the development of these lesions have not been identified.

METHODS

Investigators in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease performed a brain magnetic resonance imaging scan on sickle cell anemia patients age 5.9 years and older who had been followed according to the protocols of the Cooperative Study since birth. Individuals with a known history of cerebrovascular accident were excluded from this analysis. Patients with and without silent infarctions were compared with regard to clinical and laboratory parameters.

RESULTS

The study sample included 42 patients (18.3%) with silent infarcts. Patients who had silent infarcts were significantly more likely to have a clinical history of seizure and a lower painful event rate. Lower hemoglobin level, increased leukocyte count, elevated pocked red blood cell count, and SEN betaS globin gene haplotype were associated also with the presence of silent infarcts. There was no relationship between silent infarcts and platelet count, fetal hemoglobin level, reticulocyte percentage, serum aspartate aminotransferase level, total bilirubin concentration, blood pressure, growth parameters, or presence of alpha-thalassemia. A multivariate model for silent infarction identified the following as risk factors: low pain event rate, history of seizure, leukocyte count >/=11.8 x 10(9)/L, and the SEN betaS globin gene haplotype.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with risk factors for silent infarcts should be evaluated for cerebrovascular disease. If evidence of infarction is found, consideration must be given to therapeutic intervention. At present, the appropriate treatment has not been determined.

SHould we emergently revascularize Occluded Coronaries for cardiogenic shocK: an international randomized trial of emergency PTCA/CABG-trial design. The SHOCK Trial Study Group

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is the leading cause of death in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Nonrandomized studies suggest reduced mortality rate with revascularization.

TRIAL DESIGN

The SHOCK trial is a multicenter, randomized, and unblinded study with a Registry for trial-eligible and ineligible nonrandomized patients. The trial is testing the hypothesis that a direct invasive strategy of emergency revascularization for patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute MI will reduce 30-day all-cause mortality rate by 20 absolute percentage points compared with initial medical stabilization. Eligibility criteria include development of CS within 36 hours of an acute transmural MI as evidenced by ST elevation or new left bundle branch block MI; clinical criteria for CS with hemodynamic confirmation; absence of a mechanical, iatrogenic, or other cause of shock; and enrollment within 12 hours of CS diagnosis. Patients randomly assigned to emergency revascularization immediately undergo coronary angiography, with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting depending on the coronary anatomy. Patients assigned to initial medical stabilization may undergo revascularization >/=54 hours after randomization.

END POINTS

The primary end point is all-cause 30-day mortality after randomization. Secondary end points include death at trial termination, changes in left ventricular dimensions and function measured by echocardiography at randomization and 2 weeks later, and changes in quality of life and physical functioning from 2 weeks after discharge to 6 months after MI.

Brainstem 3H-nicotine receptor binding in the sudden infant death syndrome

Maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been shown to be a major risk factor for the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). We hypothesized that SIDS is associated with altered 3H-nicotine binding to nicotinic receptors in brainstem nuclei related to cardiorespiratory control and/or arousal. We analyzed 3H-nicotine binding in 14 regions in SIDS and control brainstems using quantitative tissue receptor autoradiography. Three groups were analyzed: SIDS (n = 42), acute controls (n = 15), and a chronic group with oxygenation disorders (n = 18). The arcuate nucleus, postulated to be important in cardiorespiratory control and abnormal in at least some SIDS victims, contained binding below the assay detection limits in all (SIDS and control) cases. We found no significant differences among the 3 groups in mean 3H-nicotine binding in the 14 brainstem sites analyzed. When a subset of the cases were stratified by the history of the presence or absence of maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, however, we found that there was no expected increase (upregulation) of nicotinic receptor binding in SIDS cases exposed to cigarette smoke in utero in 3 nuclei related to arousal or cardiorespiratory control. This finding raises the possibility that altered development of nicotinic receptors in brainstem cardiorespiratory and/or arousal circuits put at least some infants, i.e. those exposed to cigarette smoke in utero, at risk for SIDS, and underscores the need for further research into brainstem nicotinic receptors in SIDS in which detailed correlations with smoking history can be made.

Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis: optimal management and risk factors for death

The mortality rate associated with Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains high. To identify clinical events associated with an increased risk of death among patients with S. aureus PVE and to evaluate the role of valve replacement surgery in reducing mortality, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who met strict criteria for definite S. aureus PVE. The primary endpoint for the study was survival at 3 months from the date of diagnosis. S. aureus PVE was diagnosed in 33 patients. Of these, 14 (42%) died within 90 days of the diagnosis. Cardiac complications were detected in 22 (67%), and central nervous system (CNS) complications were detected in 11 (33%). A stepwise logistic regression multivariate model demonstrated that cardiac complications, but not CNS complications, were associated with increased mortality and that performing valve replacement surgery during antibiotic therapy was associated with decreased mortality. These associations were confirmed by using a Cox proportional hazards model with time-dependent covariates to control for survival bias. Performing valve replacement surgery during antimicrobial therapy will reduce the mortality among patients with S. aureus PVE, even those without evidence of cardiac complications.

Developmental changes in heterogeneous patterns of neurotransmitter receptor binding in the human interpeduncular nucleus

The interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) exhibits many complex features, including multiple subnuclei, widespread projections with the forebrain and brainstem, and neurotransmitter heterogeneity. Despite the putative importance of this nucleus, very little is known about its neurochemical development in the human. The human IPN is cytoarchitectonically simple, unlike the rat IPN, which displays considerable heterogeneity. In the following study, we hypothesized that the developing human IPN is neurochemically heterogeneous despite its cytological simplicity. The chemoarchitecture in this study was defined by neurotransmitter receptor binding patterns by using quantitative tissue autoradiography for the muscarinic, nicotinic, serotoninergic, opioid, and kainate receptors. We examined neurotransmitter receptor binding in the developing human IPN in a total of 15 cases. The midbrains of five midgestational fetuses (19-26 gestational weeks) and six infants (38-74 postconceptional weeks) were examined. The midbrain of one child (4 years) and three adults (20-68 years) were analyzed as indices of maturity. At all ages examined, high muscarinic binding was localized to the lateral subdivision of the IPN, high serotoninergic binding was localized to the dorsal IPN, and high opioid receptor binding was localized to the medial IPN. The developmental profile was unique for each radioligand. We report a heterogenous distribution of neurotransmitter receptor binding in the developing human IPN, which supports a complex role for it in human brain function.

Cerebrovascular accidents in sickle cell disease: rates and risk factors

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a major complication of sickle cell disease. The incidence and mortality of and risk factors for CVA in sickle cell disease patients in the United States have been reported only in small patient samples. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease collected clinical data on 4,082 sickle cell disease patients enrolled from 1978 to 1988. Patients were followed for an average of 5.2 +/- 2.0 years. Age-specific prevalence and incidence rates of CVA in patients with the common genotypes of sickle cell disease were determined, and the effects of hematologic and clinical events on the risk of CVA were analyzed. The highest rates of prevalence of CVA (4.01%) and incidence (0.61 per 100 patient-years) were in sickle cell anemia (SS) patients, but CVA occurred in all common genotypes. The incidence of infarctive CVA was lowest in SS patients 20 to 29 years of age and higher in children and older patients. Conversely, the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke in SS patients was highest among patients aged 20 to 29 years. Across all ages the mortality rate was 26% in the 2 weeks after hemorrhagic stroke. No deaths occurred after infarctive stroke. Risk factors for infarctive stroke included prior transient ischemic attack, low steady-state hemoglobin concentration and rate of and recent episode of acute chest syndrome, and elevated systolic blood pressure. Hemorrhagic stroke was associated with low steady-state hemoglobin and high leukocyte count.

Decreased kainate receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus of the sudden infant death syndrome

The human arcuate nucleus is postulated to be homologous to ventral medullary surface cells in animals that participate in ventilatory and blood pressure responses to hypercarbia and asphyxia. Recently, we reported a significant decrease in muscarinic cholinergic receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus in victims of the sudden infant death syndrome compared with control patients that died of acute causes. To test the specificity of the deficit to muscarinic cholinergic binding, we examined kainate binding in the arcuate nucleus in the same database. We assessed 3H-kainate binding to kainate receptors with tissue receptor autoradiography in 17 brainstem nuclei. Analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in binding by diagnosis, adjusted for postconceptional age (the covariate). Cases were classified as SIDS, 47; acute control, 15; and chronic group with oxygenation disorder, 17. (Acute controls are infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly and in whom a complete autopsy established a cause of death). The arcuate nucleus was the only region in which there was a significant difference in the age-adjusted mean kainate binding between the SIDS group (37+/-2 fmol/mg tissue) and both the acute controls (77+/-4 fmol/mg tissue) (p < 0.0001) and the chronic group (69+/-4 fmol/mg tissue) (p < 0.0001). There was a positive correlation between the density of muscarinic cholinergic and kainate binding in the SIDS cases only (R = 0.460; p = 0.003). The neurotransmitter deficit in the arcuate nucleus in SIDS victims involves more than one receptor type relevant to carbon dioxide and blood pressure responses at the ventral medullary surface.

Growth hormone secretion in HIV-positive versus HIV-negative hemophilic males with abnormal growth and pubertal development. The Hemophilia Growth and Development Study

Growth and pubertal development in hemophilic males, age 6-19 years at baseline, were evaluated over a 3.5-year period in 207 HIV-positive and 126 HIV-negative subjects as part of the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study.

METHODS

Thyroid function, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) levels, bone age, cranial magnetic resonance image normality, CD4+ counts, and serum testosterone levels of study participants were measured at baseline. An extensive endocrine evaluation was performed in subjects who demonstrated declines in height for age (measurement <5th percentile with two pervious heights >10th percentile), who had not achieved Tanner stage 4 level of pubertal development by age 15 years or who had abnormal growth velocity, which included assessment of peak stimulated growth hormone response after clonidine stimulation, 12-hour growth hormone profiles, and serum beta carotene levels (triggered protocol).

RESULTS

For almost the entire group (-99%), thyroid function tests were normal for age. IGF-1 levels were normal for 93% of the cohort. A total of 120 subjects, 89 HIV-positive and 31 HIV-negative, had an abnormality of growth, pubertal development, or both; 34 (11.1%) HIV-positive and 4 (3.6%) HIV-negative subjects had declines in height (p = .001), 20 (23.3%) HIV-positive and 5 (15.8%) HIV-negative subjects had not achieved Tanner stage 4 by 15 years of age (p = .372) and 59 (43.4%) HIV-positive and 23 (25.6) HIV-negative subjects had abnormal growth velocity (p < 0.001). Among subjects with abnormal height or growth velocity, the HIV-positive group had significantly lower mean age-adjusted testosterone levels than did the HIV-negative group (p = .030). Within the HIV-positive group, older subjects with abnormal height or growth velocity had significantly lower mean bone age than subjects of similar age without growth abnormalities (p = .0092). Extensive testing was done in 39 patients (32 HIV-positive, 7 HIV-negative). Half of the HIV-positive subjects had mean 12-hour growth hormone levels <3 ng/ml, 47% had peak stimulated levels <10 ng/ml, 28% had peak spontaneous values <10 ng/ml, and 38% had low levels of IGF-1. In the HIV-positive cohort, there was no difference in the rate of abnormalities of growth hormone secretion between those with CD4+ counts > or = or <200 cells/mm3 and between those subjects that met the 1987 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) surveillance definition of AIDS. In the subset of HIV-positive patients with abnormal peak growth hormone levels after clonidine stimulation, growth hormone response correlated positively with CD4+ count (r = .657, p = .0056) and beta carotene concentration (R = .596, p = .0192).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this longitudinal study suggest that abnormalities of growth and pubertal development, particularly an abnormal growth velocity, are common in HIV-infected hemophilic boys and adolescents. These abnormalities might serve as indicators of the presence of HIV infection in this at-risk population. Since thyroid function tests and IGF-1 levels were normal, the etiology of growth impairment in HIV infection does not appear to be secondary to inadequate caloric intake or acquisition, or severe illness such as that caused by recurrent or persistent infection. Rather, HIV infection appears to lead to diminished growth hormone production or release and decreased androgen secretion, even before the development of AIDS and immunocompromise. These results provide a rationale for trials of treatment with growth hormone or androgens in patients with abnormalities of endocrine function.

Observer variability in the diagnosis and management of the hysterosalpingogram

OBJECTIVE

To determine the reproducibility of hysterosalpingogram (HSG) interpretation and clinical management recommendations among trained observers.

DESIGN

Fifty HSG films were distributed to five fertility practitioners with a mean of 20 years clinical experience. Each observer evaluated components of uterine and tubal status and provided clinical recommendations for hysteroscopy and laparoscopy.

SETTING

University hospital-affiliated reproductive endocrine practice.

INTERVENTION(S)

None MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(s): The level of agreement among observers for each uterine and tubal category as determined by the kappa(kappa) statistic. Determinants of clinical recommendation for further diagnostic studies were assessed.

RESULT(S)

The level of agreement between observers as determined by kappa ranged from 0.645 in the hydrosalpinx category, indicating fair reliability, to 0.111 for pelvic adhesions, indicating poor reliability. The composite kappa for uterine status was 0.345 whereas the composite kappa for tubal status was 0.430. Agreement among observers concerning management showed marginal reproducibility with a kappa of 0.261. Overall, more than one abnormality of either the cavity or the fallopian tubes led to a diagnostic recommendation for further workup in > or = 90% of cases.

CONCLUSION(S)

In a group of five experienced clinicians, there was considerable variability in the interpretation as well as the clinical management of the HSG. Physicians caring for infertile couples should be aware of this discrepancy and should, if possible, review carefully both the original films as well as the report of the attending radiologist in formulating their diagnostic evaluation and management plan.

Evidence for a shift from a type I lymphocyte pattern with HIV disease progression. Hemophilia Growth and Development Study

Whether a shift from a type I (cell mediated) immune profile occurs with progressive HIV-related immune dysfunction is a matter of heated debate. We analyzed data for 333 HIV antibody-positive (HIV+) and -negative (HIV-) hemophilic children/adolescents, to examine whether the relationships among immunologic parameters and vaccine-related serology supported a shift with advancing HIV infection. In stepwise logistic regression analysis of HIV+ children's data, anergy to a panel of delayed hypersensitivity skin test antigens was positively associated with serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels (p = 0.012) and CD8+ cell counts (p = 0.021) and negatively associated with CD4+ cell counts (p = 0.002). Modeling supported anergy as a positive correlate of log IgA level (p = 0.046) and CD4+ lymphocyte count as a negative correlate, for HIV+ participants only (p < 0.0001). For mumps, the proportion of vaccinated HIV+ participants with protective IgG antibody titers was higher among those with CD4+ lymphocyte counts < 200 cells/mm3 (p = 0.058). For HIV+ participants < 14 years of age, this same trend was seen for measles and rubella, but was not seen in any age group for bacterial vaccine antigens. The intercorrelations among skin test anergy, CD4+ lymphocyte counts, serum IgA levels, and viral vaccine antigen-related serologic titers for HIV+ participants are consistent with an association between progressive HIV-related immune dysfunction and a predominance of type II (humoral immunity) or Type 0 (mixed immunity), relative to type I, lymphocyte profiles.

Surgery and anesthesia in sickle cell disease. Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Diseases

From 1978 to 1988, The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease observed 3,765 patients with a mean follow-up of 5.3 +/- 2.0 years. One thousand seventy-nine surgical procedures were conducted on 717 patients (77% sickle cell anemia [SS], 14% sickle hemoglobin C disease [SC], 5.7% S beta zero thalassemia, 3% S beta zero + thalassemia). Sixty-nine percent had a single procedure, 21% had two procedures, and the remaining 11% had more than two procedures during the study follow-up. The most frequent procedure was abdominal surgery for cholecystectomy or splenectomy (24% of all surgical procedures, N = 258). Of these, 93% received blood transfusion, and there was no association between preoperative hemoglobin A level and complication rates (except reduction in pain crisis). Overall mortality within 30 days of a surgical procedure was 1.1% (12 deaths after 1,079 surgical procedures). Three deaths were considered to be related to the surgical procedure and/or anesthesia (0.3%). No deaths were reported in patients younger than 14 years of age. Sickle cell diseases (SCD)-related complications after surgery were more frequent in SS patients who received regional compared with general anesthesia (adjusted for risk level of the surgical procedure, patient age, and preoperative transfusion status, P = .058). Non-SCD-related postoperative complications were higher in both SS and SC patients who received regional compared with those who received general anesthesia (P =.095). Perioperative transfusion was associated with a lower rate of SCD-related postoperative complications for SS patients undergoing low-risk procedures (P = .006, adjusted for age and type of anesthesia), with crude rated of 12.9% without transfusion compared with 4.8% with transfusion. In SC patients, preoperative transfusion was beneficial for all surgical risk levels (P = .009). Thus, surgical procedures can be performed safely in patients with SCD.

Decreased muscarinic receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus in sudden infant death syndrome

Muscarinic cholinergic activity in the human arcuate nucleus at the ventral medullary surface is postulated to be involved in cardiopulmonary control. A significant decrease in [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to muscarinic receptors in the arcuate nucleus is now shown to occur in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) infants, compared to infants dying acutely of known causes. In infants with chronic oxygenation abnormalities, binding is low in other nuclei, as well as in the arcuate nucleus. The binding deficit in the arcuate nucleus of SIDS infants might contribute to a failure of responses to cardiopulmonary challenges during sleep.

Clinical events in the first decade in a cohort of infants with sickle cell disease. Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

Within the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease, 694 infants with confirmed sickle cell disease were enrolled at less than 6 months of age. Information about the nature and frequency of complications was collected prospectively over a 10-year period. Painful crises and acute chest syndrome were the most common sickle cell-related events in homozygous sickle cell anemia (SS), hemoglobin SC disease (SC), and S beta thalassemia patients (overall incidence in SS patients of 32.4 and 24.5 cases per 100 person-years, respectively). Bacteremia occurred most frequently in SS children under 4 years of age and in SC patients less than 2 years of age. The mortality rate was low in this cohort compared with that found in previous reports. Twenty children, all with Hb SS, died (1.1 deaths per 100 person-years among SS patients). Infection, most commonly with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hemophilus influenzae, caused 11 deaths. Two children died of splenic sequestration, 1 of cerebrovascular accident, and 6 of unclear causes. Two patients underwent cholecystectomies, and 17 underwent splenectomies after one or more splenic sequestration crises. The experience of this cohort should reflect closely the true clinical course of those children with Hb SS and Hb SC disease who are observed in sickle cell centers in the United States.

The reproducibility of the postcoital test: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the reproducibility of the postcoital test among trained observers.

METHODS

Twenty-eight infertile patients presenting to the Brigham and Women's Hospital over a 1-year period were recruited for the study. After a standardized collection of specimens for the postcoital test, four fellowship-trained reproductive endocrinologists evaluated six postcoital test characteristics and gave their overall impression of the test. Each observer was blinded to the patients' identities and clinical histories as well as to the ratings of the other observers. The six characteristics included an assessment of the cervical mucus by ferning, cellularity, spinnbarkeit, and consistency, and of sperm by total count per high power field and percent motility. Scoring was adapted from World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for semen-cervical mucus interaction. Statistical analysis included the kappa statistic to determine agreement among observers for postcoital test characteristics and the Mantel-Haenszel test to determine the association between overall impression and the other test characteristics.

RESULTS

Agreement among the four observers was best for sperm number and motility (39% of cases) and worst for cellularity, spinnbarkeit, and overall test impression (11, 14, and 14% of cases, respectively). The kappa statistic ranged from a low of 0.13 for cellularity, demonstrating poor reliability (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.23), to a high of 0.51 for sperm number, demonstrating fair reliability (95% CI 0.41-0.60). Only sperm number and percent motility were significantly associated with the overall impression (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

In a blinded study, the characteristics of the postcoital test were found to have poor to fair reproducibility among trained observers using a standardized WHO scoring system. The observers' overall impressions of test quality correlated with sperm number and motility only. We question the validity of the postcoital test as a diagnostic tool in the evaluation of infertility.

Current spectrum of cardiogenic shock and effect of early revascularization on mortality. Results of an International Registry. SHOCK Registry Investigators

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock remains the leading cause of death of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction (MI). This study was conducted to examine (1) the current spectrum of cardiogenic shock, (2) the proportion of patients who are potential candidates for a trial of early revascularization, and (3) the apparent impact of early revascularization on mortality.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Nineteen participating centers in the United States and Belgium prospectively registered all patients diagnosed with cardiogenic shock. Two hundred fifty-one patients were registered. The mean age was 67.5 +/- 11.7 years, and 43% were women. Acute mitral regurgitation or ventricular septal rupture was the cause of shock in 8%. Concurrent conditions contributing to the development of shock were noted in 5%, and 2% had isolated right ventricular shock. Among the remaining 214 patients, nonspecific findings on the ECG associated with "nontransmural" MI were seen in 14%. The median time to shock diagnosis after MI was 8 hours. The overall in-hospital mortality was 66%. Patients clinically selected to undergo cardiac catheterization were significantly younger and had a lower mortality than those not selected (51% versus 85%, P < .0001) even if they were not revascularized (58%). Mortality for patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was 60% (n = 55) and 19% (n = 16) for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Sixty percent (n = 150) of registered patients were judged eligible for a trial of early revascularization. Trial-eligible patients were significantly younger (65.4 +/- 11.0 versus 70.6 +/- 11.9 years, P < .001), had an earlier median time to shock onset after MI (6.5 versus 17.5 hours, P = .003), and had lower mortality (62% versus 73%, P = .077) than ineligible patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients diagnosed with cardiogenic shock complicating acute MI are a heterogeneous group. Those eligible for a trial of early revascularization tended to have lower mortality. Patients selected to undergo cardiac catheterization had lower mortality whether or not they were revascularized. Emergent PTCA and CABG are promising treatment modalities for cardiogenic shock, but biased case selection for treatment may confound the data. Whether PTCA and CABG reduce mortality and which patient subgroups benefit most remain to be determined in a randomized clinical trial.

The influence of infant and maternal sickle cell disease on birth outcome and neonatal course

OBJECTIVE

To compare the influence of maternal hemoglobin phenotype as well as that of the infant on birth outcome and neonatal complications.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Prospective, natural history study with retrospective chart review for neonatal complications.

SETTING

Nineteen pediatric sickle cell centers across the United States.

PATIENTS

Four hundred eighty infants with sickle cell disease (SCD) who were enrolled in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease at less than 6 months of age, as well as a comparison cohort of 118 infants with sickle cell trait born to women with sickle cell anemia in the Cooperative Study.

RESULTS

In the SCD cohort, overall rates of preterm (< 37 weeks), low-birth-weight (< 2500 g), and small-for-gestational age births were 9%, 10%, and 8%, respectively; no significant differences were found according to infant hemoglobin phenotype. Term births accounted for 59% of the infants with low birth weight, significantly higher than the 41% US rate for black low-birth-weight infants (P = .014). Expectant mothers with sickle cell anemia are 2.5 times more likely to bear newborns who are small for gestational age than are women with other types of sickle cell disease, sickle trait, or C-trait. The most common prepartum and neonatal complications in infants with SCD were jaundice (25%), fetal distress (13%), anemia (10%), and respiratory distress (6%). Complication rates did not differ significantly by hemoglobin phenotype in the infants with SCD, but infants born to women with sickle cell anemia had higher rates of jaundice (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of adverse birth outcomes and neonatal complications in infants with SCD are similar to the rates for normal infants, although preterm birth accounts for fewer of the low-birth-weight outcomes among newborns with SCD relative to US black newborns. The hemoglobin phenotype of infants with SCD does not influence birth outcome and neonatal course, but infants born to women with sickle cell anemia are at greater risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, being small for gestational age, and neonatal jaundice.

Reference values and hematologic changes from birth to 5 years in patients with sickle cell disease. Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease

OBJECTIVE

To examine hematologic changes from birth to 5 years of age and establish hematologic reference values for infants and children with sickle cell disease.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Prospective natural history study.

SETTING

Nineteen pediatric sickle cell centers across the United States.

PATIENTS

Six hundred ninety-four infants with sickle cell disease (sickle cell anemia, sickle cell-hemoglobin C disease, and sickle-beta-thalassemia) who were enrolled in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease at younger than 6 months of age. Median follow-up time through 5 years of age was 4.1 years.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

We present longitudinal analyses of total hemoglobin concentration, percent fetal hemoglobin values, mean corpuscular volumes, total bilirubin concentration, and red blood cell (RBC), "pocked" RBC, white blood cell, platelet, and reticulocyte counts. Anemia was apparent by 10 weeks of life in infants with sickle cell anemia (SS infants). This anemia was associated with a rising reticulocyte count consistent with a hemolytic process. The reticulocyte count of SS infants increased steadily, exceeding 12% at 5 years of age. The fetal hemoglobin concentration of SS infants declined more slowly than that of infants with sickle cell hemoglobin C disease (SC infants). Pocked RBC counts rose sharply after 6 months of age, and by 1 year, 28% of SS infants had abnormal counts, above 3.5%, indicating poor splenic function. At 3 years of age, 78% of SS patients and 32% of SC patients had abnormal pocked RBC counts. The SS patients with concurrent alpha-thalassemia had, after 6 months of age and throughout early childhood, a slightly higher mean total hemoglobin concentration and lower mean pocked RBC and reticulocyte counts than SS patients without alpha-thalassemia. The hematologic profile of SC infants more closely resembled that of normal black infants, but there was mild anemia (10.5 g/dL) and slightly elevated mean values for reticulocytes (3%) and fetal hemoglobin (3%) during early childhood.

Delayed somatic growth and pubertal development in human immunodeficiency virus-infected hemophiliac boys: Hemophilia Growth and Development Study

As part of the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study, we investigated the impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on statural growth, weight gain, and skeletal and sexual maturity in more than 300 boys with moderate to severe hemophilia, of whom 62% were infected with HIV. Age-adjusted height and weight were reduced in the HIV-infected subjects (p < 0.001). However, mean weight for height and triceps skin-fold thickness of the infected-boys closely resembled those of the uninfected group. In HIV-infected boys, height for age was positively related to the CD4+ lymphocyte count when the count was < 200 cells/mm3. Age-adjusted serum testosterone levels did not differ by HIV status, but in the infected participants the mean age-adjusted bone age was significantly reduced (p = 0.038) and the distribution of Tanner stages, adjusted for age, differed significantly (p = 0.003). The probability of advancing one or more Tanner stages in the first study year was significantly slowed in HIV-infected boys more than 14 years of age (p = 0.0003). We conclude that linear growth was significantly impaired in boys with hemophilia and HIV infection, but the wasting of malnutrition was not found. The delays in bone age and pubertal maturation strongly suggest that part of the growth failure seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome can be attributed to pubertal delay. We speculate that the lack of demonstrable difference in age-adjusted testosterone concentrations might reflect subtle differences in the pattern of secretion of testosterone or in the concentration of sex-hormone binding globulin.

Immune and serologic profiles of HIV-infected and noninfected hemophilic children and adolescents. Hemophilia Growth and Development Study Group

OBJECTIVES

To assess relationships among the effects of HIV on hemophilic children and adolescents' immunologic parameters and vaccine-related serology.

METHODS

We analyzed data from extensive baseline immunologic evaluations of 207 HIV antibody-positive (HIV+) and 126 HIV antibody-negative (HIV-) hemophilic children and adolescents.

RESULTS

HIV+ and HIV- participants differed significantly in T-lymphocyte subpopulation numbers, immunoglobulin levels, and seroprevalence rates for diphtheria toxoid, measles, and mumps antigens, IgG levels, IgM levels, and serologic titers to vaccine antigens showed little correlation with T-cell parameters. Proportionately more HIV+ participants were nonreactive to each and all of a panel of 7 skin test antigens (71% vs 28% anergic, RR 2.6). The odds of anergy increased 1.6 times for every decline of 200 CD4+ cells/microliters.

CONCLUSIONS

HIV had significant, largely independent T- and B-lymphocyte effects on this pediatric cohort.

Behavior, family function, school performance, and predictors of persistent disturbance in sexually abused children

OBJECTIVE

Although sexual abuse is widely considered to have severe sequelae, most studies of children's status after sexual abuse have had major limitations, including retrospective design, small sample sizes, selective enrollment of subjects, no comparison groups, and lack of information about potentially confounding characteristics of studied children. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of sexual abuse on children's psychological well-being.

METHODS

We prospectively studied 154 children who were brought to urban, university-affiliated hospitals for assessment of recently disclosed sexual abuse and compared them with a control group of 53 demographically similar children not known to have been sexually abused.

RESULTS

In comparison with the control children, fewer of the sexually abused children had health insurance and more had received psychiatric care unrelated to the sexual abuse. Most initial ratings of behavior, maternal psychiatric status, family function, and school performance were less favorable among the sexually abused than among the control children (P < .05). At follow-up 6 months later, the psychiatric status of the mothers of the abused children apparently improved, but the children's difficulties largely persisted. Baseline characteristics of the abused children significantly or suggestively associated with persisting problematic behavior were older age (P = .04), lower maternal educational attainment (P = .06), poorer maternal psychiatric status (P = .04) and lower family integration (P < .001). These four factors accounted for 31% of the variance in the children's behavior at 6-month follow-up (P < .001). Unexpectedly, characteristics of the children's sexual abuse experiences did not predict their later behavioral status.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that preexisting, long-standing adverse psychosocial circumstances may contribute importantly to persistently problematic behavior and school performance among sexually abused children. The findings also suggest that it is children's preexisting psychosocial circumstances, rather than the abuse, that determine, at least in part, the nature of their functional outcomes.

Osteonecrosis of the humeral head in sickle cell disease

The prevalence and incidence of osteonecrosis (ON) of the humeral head in sickle cell disease was determined by a study of 2524 patients who were entered into a prospective study and followed for an average of 5.6 years. At entry, 5.6% had roentgenographic evidence of ON in one or both shoulders. There was little difference in age-adjusted prevalence among genotypes, but there were striking differences in age-specific rates. Observed at ages ranging from five to 24 years, 3.25% of sickle cell anemia (S/S) patients, but only 1.1% of sickle cell disease (S/C) patients, had ON. No S/beta+ thalassemia patients younger than 25 years of age had ON on entry. The highest age-adjusted incidence rate was found in S/S patients with concomitant alpha-thalassemia (4.85 per hundred patient-years), followed by S/beta zero-thalassemia (4.84 per hundred patient-years), S/beta+ thalassemia (2.61 per hundred patient-years), S/S without alpha-thalassemia (2.54 per hundred patient-years), and S/C (1.66 per hundred patient-years). Only 20.9% of patients reported pain or had limited range of movement at the time of diagnosis. Sickle cell disease is a frequent cause of ON of the humeral head, especially in children and young adults.

High-risk profiles for nursing home admission

A statewide probability sample of 1,625 Massachusetts elderly was studied prospectively over a decade to identify risk profiles for long-term care (LTC) institutionalization. Previous admission to a LTC institution, age, basic ADL disability, and restricted outside mobility were the strongest individual predictors of institutionalization. Examining profiles of risk factors dramatically increased the ability to predict 10-year risk of admission.

Sickle cell disease as a cause of osteonecrosis of the femoral head

BACKGROUND AND METHODS

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an important complication of sickle cell disease. We studied 2590 patients who were over 5 years of age at entry and followed them for an average of 5.6 years. Patients were examined twice a year, and radiographs of the hips were taken at least twice: at study entry and approximately three years later.

RESULTS

At study entry, 9.8 percent of patients were found to have osteonecrosis of one or both femoral heads. On follow-up, patients with the hemoglobin SS genotype and alpha-thalassemia were at the greatest risk for osteonecrosis (age-adjusted incidence rate, 4.5 cases per 100 patient-years, as compared with 2.4 in patients with the hemoglobin SS genotype without alpha-thalassemia and 1.9 in those with the hemoglobin SC genotype). Although the rate of osteonecrosis in patients with the hemoglobin SC genotype did not differ significantly from that in patients with the hemoglobin SS genotype without alpha-thalassemia, osteonecrosis tended to develop in these patients later in life. Intermediate rates of osteonecrosis were observed among patients with the hemoglobin S-beta zero-thalassemia and the hemoglobin S-beta(+)-thalassemia genotypes (3.6 and 3.3 cases per 100 patient-years, respectively). Osteonecrosis was found in patients as young as five years old (1.8 cases per 100 patient-years for all genotypes). The frequency of painful crises and the hematocrit were positively associated with osteonecrosis. The mean corpuscular volume and serum aspartate aminotransferase level were negatively associated. Twenty-seven patients had hip arthroplasty during the study; 10 were under 25 years of age. Five of the 27 required reoperation 11 to 53 months after the initial operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is common in patients with sickle cell disease, with an incidence ranging from about 2 to 4.5 cases per 100 patient-years. Patients with the hemoglobin SS genotype and alpha-thalassemia and those with frequent painful crises are at highest risk. The overall prevalence is about 10 percent. The results of hip arthroplasty are poor.

Six-year results of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group trial of observation versus CMFP versus CMFPT in postmenopausal patients with node-positive breast cancer

The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) trial of adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil, and prednisone (CMFP) or CMFP plus tamoxifen (CMFPT) for 1 year compared with observation alone in 265 postmenopausal patients with node-positive breast cancer is reported with 74 months median follow-up. Overall relapse-free survival tended to favor CMFPT (P = .08), but no survival differences existed between any treatment group. The addition of tamoxifen to CMFP led to slightly (but not significantly) better relapse-free status in all subgroups analyzed. Subgroup analysis based on stratification variables showed significant benefit from CMFP (+/- T) only in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative patients with respect to disease-free status (P = .0003), but not survival (P = .54). Relapse-free status was actually worse for CMFP-treated patients with ER-positive tumors, but not significantly so (P = .15). By multivariate analysis other significant risk factors for relapse-free status were primary tumor size, number of nodes pathologically involved, and the number of nodes examined. ER status was prognostic only for the observation group with the benefit from chemotherapy on ER-negative patients obliterating this difference in treated patients. Survival was affected by the number of involved nodes, tumor size, presence of tumor necrosis, and patient obesity. Analysis of toxicity showed elevation of liver enzymes during the first year to be more common in the observation group compared with those patients receiving adjuvant treatment and to be associated with early recurrence. Toxicity from adjuvant treatment persisted beyond termination of therapy in 53% of patients, but was usually mild and self-limited. We conclude CMFPT offers relapse-free survival benefit in ER-negative patients, but the value of chemotherapy in ER-positive postmenopausal, node-positive patients must be questioned.

Risk factors for intraoperative complications in 1000 extracapsular cataract cases

A prospective study of the risk factors in extracapsular surgery was carried out between October 1984 and April 1986. One thousand extracapsular cataract extractions were performed by seven physicians. Decreasing pupil size was the only statistically significant risk factor for vitreous loss (P = 0.0002). Zonular breaks occurred more commonly with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PX) (P less than 0.0001), with decreasing pupil size (P less than 0.0001), and with one surgeon who used the Simcoe aspirating needle (Storz) exclusively (P = 0.0001). It is acknowledged that it is very difficult to standardize what constitutes a small zonular break; hence, the increase in zonular breaks recorded by this surgeon may have been due only to his using less stringent criteria than the others. Capsule breaks had no significant risk factors at the 0.01 level. High myopia, advanced cataract, glaucoma, advanced age, and diabetes mellitus were not found to be risk factors for vitreous loss, zonular breaks, or capsular breaks.