Impact of detraining on bone loss in former collegiate female gymnasts.

Undesirable changes in health-related parameters are thought to occur in retiring female athletes, but this has not been examined in longitudinal studies. The purpose of this study was to examine longitudinal changes in bone mineral density (BMD), body composition, and dietary intake in gymnasts and controls. Nonathletic, college-age women (: n = 9) were selected as a control group for comparison to the gymnasts (n = 10). Initial BMDs for the gymnasts were determined by using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Lunar, DPX) at the beginning of their final competitive year. Initial BMDs for the controls were measured during a similar time-frame. Follow-up measurements were made at least 1-year after the initial measurement. Gymnasts had significantly greater BMD of the femoral neck (1.262 versus 1.058 g/cm2, respectively), Ward's triangle (1.230 versus 1.008 g/cm2), greater trochanter (1002 versus 0.822 g/cm2), and total body (1.232 versus 1.145 g/cm2) than controls while still competing (P < .05). Following retirement from competition, (mean years of retirement, 4 years), BMD of the gymnasts remained significantly greater than controls at total body, femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle (P < .05). Significant declines in femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and greater trochanter BMD were found in both gymnasts and controls (0.72% to 1.9% per year), but only gymnasts had a significant decline at the lumbar spine (0.87% per year). In conclusion, BMD changes in former gymnasts appear to be site-specific, and gymnasts continue to have greater proximal femur BMD than controls, despite their decreased exercise, which may help postpone or prevent osteoporosis later in life.

HIV seroprevalence in Oklahoma childbearing women.

From October 1989 through September 1990, we conducted an unlinked seroprevalence survey in Oklahoma to determine the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV) in women at the time of childbirth. Blood specimens obtained from 41,809 newborns in conjunction with the state's newborn metabolic screening program were tested for HIV after personal identifiers were removed. The overall HIV seroprevalence rate was 0.02% (10/41,809). Rates were highest for mothers aged 30 to 39 years (0.06%, 3/5,158). No difference was found between the HIV seroprevalence rates for women residing in standard metropolitan areas (MSAs) of the state (0.03%, 6/21,105) and women residing in non-metropolitan areas (0.03%, 3/11,904). When compared to other states where surveys have been done, Oklahoma's rate of HIV infection in childbearing women was low.

Syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, and targeting prevention.

To examine the interaction between syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection in Oklahoma, we conducted an unlinked HIV seroprevalence survey using serum specimens submitted to the Oklahoma State Department of Health for serologic test for syphilis. Of specimens with positive results from fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption test (FTA-ABS), 6.3% were HIV-1 seropositive compared to 0.8% of those that had negative results from FTA-ABS. Among specimens positive for syphilis, HIV-1 seropositivity was found almost exclusively among those from persons 20 to 39 years of age and more often among those from men than those from women (9.9% vs 1.3%). Of syphilis-positive specimens from 20- to 39-year-old men, 17.6% were HIV-1 seropositive. In Oklahoma, an area with a relatively low overall prevalence of HIV-1 infection, targeting prevention efforts to young adults who test positive for syphilis should be an efficient way to reach some persons at high risk for HIV-1 infection.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of persons with serologic evidence of E. canis infection.

The results of a serosurvey of Oklahomans for the presence of antibody to Ehrlichia canis is reported. Paired serum specimens, from patients lacking the serologic criteria for diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), were tested. A four-fold increase in E. canis-IFA antibody was found in 16/144 (11 percent) of these paired serum samples. Patients with serologic evidence of E. canis infection had a mean age of 34 years, 69 percent were male, and 63 percent lived in a town less than 10,000 population. Signs and symptoms included: fever 94 percent, headache 94 percent, fatigue 94 percent, anorexia 81 percent, nausea 60 percent, and rash 44 percent. When compared to control patients, whose sera were submitted for RMSF testing but did not meet serologic criteria for RMSF or E. canis, case-patients were more likely to have had leukopenia (OR = 4.9, 95 percent Cl = 1.2, 19.0) and tick exposure (OR = 9.5, 95 percent Cl = 1.4, 62.7). The results suggest E. canis, or a closely related agent, is a cause of human illness. Ticks are probable vector.

Development of quality control procedures for the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

A standardized pool of human sera that was positive for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) antibody was developed. This positive control serum was used to analyze test differences among eight laboratories, among the HIV-1 antibody test kits of three different manufacturers, among different lots of the same test kit, and among pipetting devices and techniques. The standardized pool of human sera was tested 327 times by the different laboratories. In terms of positive tests, a reproducibility of 99.69% was achieved; however, significant test variance among laboratories, among test kit lots, and among pipetting devices and techniques could be demonstrated if the tests were compared on the basis of the net positive optical density (OD) value. This value was calculated by subtracting the cutoff OD value (i.e., the value below which an OD value was considered negative for HIV-1 antibody) from the observed OD value of the standardized pool of human sera. The results obtained suggest that this strategy can be used for proficiency testing, for monitoring the quality of HIV-1 antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reagents, and for evaluating pipetting devices and techniques.

Evaluation of latex-Rickettsia rickettsii test for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in 11 laboratories.

A latex-Rickettsia rickettsii test for detection of antibodies to Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) was evaluated during the 1980 RMSF season in 11 laboratories in nine states where the disease is endemic. In a double-blind study, all sera submitted to each laboratory for RMSF testing were also examined by the latex-R. rickettsii test. A portion of each specimen was then sent to the New York State laboratory for testing by latex-R. rickettsii and by the reference microimmunofluorescence test. Results were exchanged at the end of the examination period. At the usual ratio of reactive to nonreactive sera encountered in a diagnostic laboratory on a day-to-day basis, the efficiency of the latex-R. rickettsii test relative to microimmunofluorescence was 96.79% for New York and 93.30% for the collaborating laboratories. Both the latex and microimmunofluorescence tests detected antibodies to RMSF within 7 to 9 days of onset. With the latex-R. rickettsii test--but not necessarily with microimmunofluorescence--a high titer (greater than or equal to 128) on a single serum was diagnostic of active RMSF. Changes in serum titer for patients with multiple sera were similar for both tests. The test detects rickettsial antibodies in patients with active infection, but in most cases it does not detect antibody in patients with past infection. Test reactivity could not be uniquely linked to a particular immunoglobulin class.