Reverse smoking and its effects on the hard palate: a case report

Reverse smoking is a habit that is endemic in many Indian, South American and Caribbean communities. Two case reports of reverse smoking are presented in this paper. Although it causes characteristic changes in the palate, the role of reverse smoking in oral cancer is unclear. No clinical studies are available on reverse smoking using commercially available cigarettes. (AU)

Comparison of dengue-2 and dengue-3 virus strains by neutralization tests and identification of a subtype of dengue-3

Strains of dengue-2 and dengue-3 viruses of diverse geographic origins including southeast Asia, the Caribbean region, and Tahati were compared by plaque-reduction neutralisation tests with hyperimmune-mouse asctic fluids and human convalescent sera. The dengue-2 strains all appeared similar. The dengue-3 strains from the Caribbean and from Tahiti were similar to each other and differed significantly from the southeast Asian strains. A subtype of dengue-3 was defined (AU)

Fatty streaks in the coronary arteries and aorta

We have analyzed the extent of fatty streaks in the coronary arteries and aortae of young persons 10 to 39 years old from 19 geographic and ethnic groups. Fatty streaks in the aorta increase rapidly in succeeding age groups during the second decade of life, and in some groups during the third decade. There after they tend to diminish in extent or remain at approximately the same level. Fibrous plaques and other advanced lesions approach similar degrees of extent 20 years or more later. The extent of aortic fatty streaks in youth does not predict the extent of aortic raised lesions later in life on agroup basis. Fatty streaks in the second and the third decades of life, and show no tendency to regress at any age. The mean extent of coronary artery fatty streaks in young persons appears related to the mean extent of raised lesions in the same population at middle age in non-Negro groups. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that advanced atherosclerotic lesions develop by progression and transformation of fatty streaks. However, the degree to which the transformation takes place appears to vary among arteries and among racial groups. (AU)

Atherosclerosis in persons with selected diseases

Comparison has been made of measures of coronary and aortic atherosclerosis in autopsied persons having five selected diseases (lung cancer,stomach cancer, other cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, and tuberculosis) with similar measures in control cases. There appears to be a slight but not significant tendency for lung cancer to be associated with more severe atherosclerosis within age-location-race subgroups. The tendency is strongest in the abdominal aorta. None of the other four diseases appears to be associated with increased or decreased severity of atherosclerosis in comparison with the control groups.(AU)

Distribution of coronary and aortic atherosclerosis by geographic location, race, and sex

Cooperating pathologists in different countries collected 23,207 sets of coronary arteries and aortae, according to a standard protocol. A central laboratry staff stained the arteries with Sudan IV, and a team of pathologists graded the atherosclerotic lesions. A basal group of cases which died from accidents, infections, cancer, and selected miscellaneous causes was extracted in order to compare atherosclerosis among the different geographic, racial, and sex subgroups. Even the most homogeneous subgroups (same location, sex, age, and race) vary greatly in extent of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. The 19 location-race groups differ significantly in extent of raised lesions. The abdominal aorta and the left anterior descending coronary artery have more atherosclerosis than other arteries. Within most location-race groups, coronary arteries of men have more raised lesions than the coronary arteries of women. Aortae of men in some groups have slightly more, and in other groups slightly less raised lesions than the aortae of women. Negro groups show little or no sex difference in either the coronary arteries or the aorta. Ranking of the 19 location-race groups by raised atherosclerotic lesions is similar, regardless of lesion measure (fatty streaks excepted), sex, artery, or age group. New Orleans white and the Oslo group rank highest; Bogota, Sao Paulo Negro, Guatemala, and Durban Bantu groups rank lowest. With few exceptions, ranking these groups by raised lesions corresponds closely with ranking them by coronary heart disease mortality rate. (AU)