Health Report

THE GOOD NEWS

Providing a glimmer of hope in the AIDS fight, researchers have found that a small number of prostitutes in Kenya -- one of the worst-afflicted groups in one of the worst-afflicted countries -- are evidently immune to the virus. If the underlying reason can be found, it might help doctors understand and even cure the disease.

A newly identified chemical can trigger the release of extra growth hormone from pituitary cells. Children deficient in the hormone now take injections of extra growth hormone to ensure proper physical development, but these injections can cause side effects; the new substance might be given orally and would be less likely to cause harm.

THE BAD NEWS

The anticipation surrounding the announcement of Jonas Salk's new, intensely hyped AIDS vaccine at the international AIDS conference in Berlin quickly turned to disappointment. In experimental trials it seemed to slow the virus' spread as advertised, but other researchers maintain that the effect is too small to be significant.

Ground-level ozone, the chief ingredient of smog, remains a major health hazard despite federal rules that limit the amount cities are permitted to allow in their air to no more than 0.12 parts per million. The pollutant inflames lung tissues and hampers breathing; it's especially dangerous for people who are exercising.

[TMFONT 1 d #666666 d {Sources: New England Journal of Medicine; Nature; Science; Journal of the American Medical Association; Pediatrics}]