Journal retracts flawed study

A major British medical journal this week finally retracted a flawed study that linked the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism and bowl disease.

"We fully retract this paper from the published record," Lancet editors said of British surgeon Andrew Wakefield's study that had been published in 1998.

Since the controversial paper was published, vaccination rates for measles in Britain have never recovered, and there are outbreaks of the disease every year.


Subsequent studies have found no proof of a link between the vaccine and autism. Ten of Wakefield's 13 co-authors renounced the findings several years ago, and The Lancet previously said it never should have published the study.

Last week, Britain's General Medical Council ruled that Wakefield had shown a "callous disregard" for the children used in his study and acted unethically. Wakefield and two colleagues face being stripped of their right to practice.

Serotonin shortage

Victims of sudden infant death syndrome have less of the chemical serotonin in their brains, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Levels of serotonin, which regulates sleep, heart rate and breathing, were 26 percent lower in the brainstems of babies who died of SIDS than in those of babies who died of other causes, the study said.

Researchers suggested that a low level of serotonin may be the "fundamental abnormality" in babies who die of SIDS. They think that serotonin acts as a kind of natural alarm clock that wakes babies when their breathing is disrupted. Babies without sufficient serotonin may not realize they are not getting enough oxygen and die.

The study also found that infants with a serotonin deficiency also had 22 percent less of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase, which is needed to make serotonin.

Researchers now will try to find why some babies lack normal amounts of the enzyme. They also said they still may be decades away from a blood test that could spot an infant at risk for SIDS; until then, parents are urged to put babies on their backs to sleep, don't overbundle the child and don't leave loose bedding and stuffed toys in the crib.

Marfan syndrome study

The National Marfan Foundation is still seeking 115 participants for a critical study to determine the best treatment for the condition's deadliest symptom.

Marfan syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that affects the heart, blood vessels, eyes, bones, joints and lungs. Its deadliest complication is an enlargement of the aorta, which can rupture and cause sudden death if left untreated.

The study is comparing the effect of losartan, an FDA-approved drug, with atenolol, a beta blocker that is the current gold standard. Research published in Science four years ago showed that losartan prevents and may even reverse the fatal weakening of arteries in mice with the syndrome.

Washington University in St. Louis is one of 26 sites taking part in the study, which needs 604 Marfan's patients ages 6 months to 25 years. For complete details, go to www.marfan.org. Experts think perhaps as many as 100,000 are unaware they have the disorder.

On March 6, Dr. Gregorio Sicard, chief of vascular surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital will receive the National Marfan Foundation's Hero with a Heart Award for his lifesaving surgical techniques.

Lifesaving text messages

Text messaging may be deadly for drivers, but it could be a lifesaver for doctors treating patients with chronic diseases.

"Sending a text to a patient's cell phone about an upcoming appointment or a test or simply to remind them to take their meds is a great example of how we can harness new communication technology for a greater good," said Dr. Delphine Robotham, a Johns Hopkins pediatrician.

In a recent study, children with diabetes showed improved glucose testing rates and were more likely to share readings with their doctor. Another study showed a dramatic decrease in acute liver transplant rejections when patients were reminded to take their immunosuppressive medication.

Other conditions that require daily medication, such as HIV, asthma and TB, are great candidates for short-message service therapy, Robotham said.

Robotic surgery milestone

Surgeons at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis recently celebrated their 1,000th case using the da Vinci robotic surgery system.

While prostate cancer is the primary use of the new technology around the country, St. Louis surgeons are using it to perform other surgeries in a minimally invasive fashion. For example, Dr. Sam Bhayani and his colleagueshave pioneered use of the robot for kidney cancer surgery.

"We are able to extract small tumors through small incisions, in the process saving the patient's kidney," he said.

The small incisions allow access by the robot's three arms, two of which hold surgical instruments while a third is a camera that allows the surgeon seated at a computer to perform the operation. Traditionally, such surgeries are performed as an open procedure with large incisions.

Barnes-Jewish surgeons also have used the system to remove gynecologic cancers and gallbladders.

Space station video

Space enthusiasts now can see what's happening on the International Space Station as it occurs thanks to a new live video stream at www.nasa.gov.

Powered by a high-speed communications antenna and NASA satellite system, the feed includes audio of communications between Mission Control and the astronauts.

Earlier this week, for example, viewers were able to see the crew performing maintenance procedures on the station's life-support systems and going through their physical fitness routines.

Users can access the video when the complex is in contact with the ground and during regular working hours. Last March, NASA began streaming video online of the space station's view of Earth and its exterior.

CT scans before surgery

Having a CT scan before surgery may be cutting the number of unnecessary appendectomies in women of childbearing age, according to a new study in this month's issue of Radiology.

While surgical removal of the appendix is the common treatment for acute appendicitis, diagnosis is not always clear. Before computed tomography came along, physicians often would remove the appendix as a precaution, but the organ was found to be perfectly healthy as often as 40 percent of the time.

From 1998 to 2007, the percentage of patients who had preoperative CT scans rose from 18.5 percent to 93.2 percent. During the same period, the number of operations that turned up healthy appendixes dropped from 42.9 percent to 7.1 percent in women of childbearing age.

Similar results were not seen in men or women older than 45. "Negative appendectomy" rates are generally higher in younger women because gynecological problems can mimic appendicitis.



Source: Your life, Journal retracts flawed study, TMcClatchy Company, http://www.bnd.com/yourlife/story/1117055.html, Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010