The association of stress-coping variables to quality of life among caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury.

The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which stress-coping variables contribute to quality of life (QOL) among caregivers of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the direct effects of the following variables: functional competency, caregiving appraisal, coping, perceived social support, and family needs on QOL. In addition, the unique variance accounted for in QOL by each set was investigated, and whether perceived social support, coping, and family needs mediate or moderate the relationship between caregiving appraisal and QOL. The sample consisted of 108 caregivers recruited from support groups who were predominantly white females. The majority of care-recipients had a severe head injury. Measures administered were the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, Family Needs Questionnaire, Modified Caregiving Appraisal Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life--Brief Version. Results showed that the full model accounted for 68% of the variance in QOL; caregiving appraisal, perceived social support and family needs remained significant after other stress-coping variables were partialled; and of these sets, emotional social support, social needs, and perceived burden were the significant individual predictors. Emotional social support and social needs mediated the relationship between perceived burden and QOL.

Retrovirus-like particles in salivary glands, prostate and testes of AIDS patients.

AIDS associated retrovirus-like particles were identified in the salivary gland, prostate and/or testicle of two AIDS patients. These findings further suggest that saliva and semen may transmit the infection to susceptible individuals.

PIP: This article presents electronmicroscopy evidence of retrovirus-like particles with bar shaped cores in salivary and prostate glands as well as testicles of 2 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. The 1st case, a 38-year old black male homosexual, presented in 1982 with diarrhea, malabsorption, and weight loss. In the following 1 1/2 years, he experienced recurrent Candida esophagitis, cutaneous and pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and cytomegalovirus. Autopsy in 1984 revealed residual Kaposi's sarcoma, disseminated cytomegalovirus, and M avium-intracellulare. The 2nd case, a 31-year old white male homosexual, presented in 1984 with Pneumocystis carinii penumonia and subsequently developed persistent fever, hepatomegaly, headaches, blurred vision, progressive liver function deterioration, and disseminated histoplasmosis infection. Autopsy in 1984 revealed an overwhelming disseminated histoplasmosis infection. Tissues taken at postmortem were examined by electron microscopy. Particles that conformed with the morphologic characteristics of AIDS retrovirus (a size of about 140 nm, a round shape with a double membrane, and an elongated core) were detected in the prostate gland of patient 2 and in the salivary glands and testes of both patients. This finding suggests that saliva and semen may be body fluids by which transmission of the AIDS virus occurs.