Cause of Death Affects Racial Classification on Death Certificates

Recent research suggests racial classification is responsive to social stereotypes, but how this affects racial classification in national vital statistics is unknown. This study examines whether cause of death influences racial classification on death certificates. We analyze the racial classifications from a nationally representative sample of death certificates and subsequent interviews with the decedents' next of kin and find notable discrepancies between the two racial classifications by cause of death. Cirrhosis decedents are more likely to be recorded as American Indian on their death certificates, and homicide victims are more likely to be recorded as Black; these results remain net of controls for followback survey racial classification, indicating that the relationship we reveal is not simply a restatement of the fact that these causes of death are more prevalent among certain groups. Our findings suggest that seemingly non-racial characteristics, such as cause of death, affect how people are racially perceived by others and thus shape U.S. official statistics

Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization secondary to pathologic myopia—1-year results of a prospective series

Purpose: To study the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin in the treatment of juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia. Methods: Prospective, open label, two-centre, noncomparative, interventional case series. Consecutive patients with juxtafoveal CNV associated with pathologic myopia were recruited and treated with a standard regimen of PDT with verteporfin. Patients were being followed up every 3-monthly and retreatment was considered when there was evidence of angiographic leakage. Outcome measures included changes in the mean best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the 1-year follow-up when compared with the baseline, the proportion of patients who had stable (within 1 line) and improved visions. Results: A total of 11 eyes from 11 patients with juxtafoveal CNV secondary to pathologic myopia were recruited and all completed the 1-year follow-up. The mean age at presentation was 44.8 years. The refractive error ranged from -6.0 to -15.0 D (± SD was -9.55 ± 3.04D). The logMAR BCVA improved from 0.57 to 0.39 at the 1-year follow-up (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, P = 0.027). The mean improvement was 1.8 lines. Five eyes (45.4%) had BCVA improved by ≥3 lines. None of the treated patients had visual loss of ≥1 line. The mean number of treatments over the 12-month study period was 2.3 sessions. Conclusions: The results are encouraging, especially on considering the low retreatment rate, stable or improved BCVA in all treated eyes, and consistently good safety profile. Juxtafoveal myopic CNV may be an expanded indication for PDT with verteporfin. © 2005 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Endogenous glucocorticoids modulate neutrophil migration and synovial P-selectin but not neutrophil phagocytic or oxidative function in experimental arthritis

Pharmacologic glucocorticoids are powerful inhibitors of the inflammatory response at many levels, including leucocyte trafficking and function. The adhesion molecule P-selectin is a key participant in polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) migration to sites of inflammation. The extent to which endogenous glucocorticoids influence PMN migration and activation is not clear. We used the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 to examine the effect of endogenous glucocorticoid blockade on PMN migration and function in carrageenan monoarthritis in the rat. Arthritis was induced by intra-articular injection of carrageenan and disease severity measured by PMN count in synovial lavage fluid. Decalcified frozen sections of injected joints were analysed for expression of P-selectin by immunohistochemistry. Adrenal glucocorticoid action was blocked in vivo with RU486 20 mg/kg. PMN phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species synthesis were measured by flow cytometry. Carrageenan injection was associated with severe arthritis (synovial lavage PMN 5.9 ± 0.7 × 106, P < 0.01 versus control) which was dose-dependent. P-selectin was not detected in normal joints but was abundant in joints injected with 500 μg carrageenan. RU486 resulted in exacerbation of carrageenan arthritis (9.7 ± 0.8 × 106, P < 0.05). RU486 also altered the threshold for disease induction, in that most RU486-treated animals were susceptible to arthritis at a dose of carrageenan (2.5 μg) which did not induce arthritis in most control-treated animals (P < 0.05), denoting an altered threshold for arthritis induction. RU486 treatment was associated with increased synovial P-selectin expression. Activation status as measured by PMN phagocytic and oxidative function were not influenced by endogenous glucocorticoid blockade. These findings suggest that endogenous glucocorticoids selectively influence PMN migration to inflamed joints via P-selectin expression, but have no effect on PMN activation status