Fw: News release from UT Southwestern for April 4

[Guest guest]

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation

Dallas, Texas Headquarters

----- Original Message -----

From: " Robin Amerine " <Robin.Amerine@...>

<UTSWNEWS@...>

Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 3:47 PM

Subject: News release from UT Southwestern for April 4

Media Contact: Mindy Baxter

214-648-3404

melinda.baxter@...

TATTOOING A MAJOR ROUTE OF HEPATITIS C INFECTION,

UT SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCHER FINDS

DALLAS - April 4, 2001 - Getting a tattoo could be a key infection route for

hepatitis C, the most common chronic viral infection affecting almost 2

percent of the United States population, according to a study by a UT

Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researcher.

Dr. Haley, chief of epidemiology, writes in the March issue of the

journal Medicine that tattooing has been previously overlooked as a

widespread source of hepatitis C, a potentially fatal disease that attacks

the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. It affects 2 percent of

the U.S. population.

The study found that people who had received a tattoo in a commercial tattoo

parlor were nine times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C than

people who did not have a tattoo.

Participants in the study were patients of an orthopaedic spinal clinic, a

setting that provided a large volume of patients seeing a physician for

reasons unrelated to blood-borne infection. Participants unaware of their

hepatitis status were examined, interviewed for risk factors and tested for

hepatitis C by the study's co-author Dr. Fischer.

Of 626 patients studied, 113, or 18 percent, had a tattoo. Of those with a

tattoo, 22 percent were infected with hepatitis C. Of the 52 patients who

had acquired their tattoos in commercial tattoo parlors, 33 percent had

hepatitis C. In contrast, only 3.5 percent of patients with no tattoos had

hepatitis C. Few of the tattoo-associated infections could be traced to

injection-drug use, transfusions or other known routes of exposure.

" Prior studies were unable to account for a substantial proportion of

infections, perhaps 40 percent or more, by the accepted risk factors like

injection-drug use and transfusions, " Haley said. " That suggested that

important risk factors were yet to be identified. Tattooing appears to be

one of those. It has proven to be an important route of infection in other

countries, but its role in the United States has received too little study

until now. "

Patients in the study were asked questions about the number of tattoos they

had, the surface area covered by tattoos, the colors in the tattoos and

where they had received the tattoos. Study participants also were asked

about other possible hepatitis C risk factors, including injection-drug use,

prior blood transfusions, sexual promiscuity, acupuncture, electrolysis,

occupation, ethnic factors, obesity and others.

The study found that people who had several tattoos, or complex or large

tattoos had an increased risk of having hepatitis C and that people with

white, yellow, orange or red pigments in their tattoos also were more likely

to have hepatitis C than those with only black. These characteristics

reflect tattoos acquired in commercial tattoo parlors.

The risk of hepatitis C infection was also higher among patients with a

history of injection-drug use, hospital custodial workers, and people who

drank beer heavily, but the risk was not increased for those who drank only

wine or liquor.

Although hepatitis C can be transmitted by an infected blood transfusion,

this route of infection was too rare to show a discernable contribution to

the overall infection rate in the population at large.

" Most importantly, we found that commercially acquired tattoos accounted for

more than twice as many hepatitis C infections as injection-drug use, " Haley

said. " This means that it may have been the largest single contributor to

the nationwide epidemic of this form of hepatitis. "

Hepatitis C can be passed through tattooing by reuse of tattooing needles or

dye, inadequate sterilization of tattooing needles between customers, or

breaks in sterile technique such as the artist pricking the back of his or

her hand to test the needle's sharpness. Few states have hygienic

regulations to ensure safe tattooing practices in commercial tattoo parlors,

and even fewer monitor and enforce standards.

Patients for the study were interviewed and tested in 1991 and 1992.

" The results of the study were not published then because other

epidemiological studies at the time were expected to address the issue, but

they did not, " said Fischer. " This was the last study done before widespread

hepatitis C testing began, when a largely unbiased study could still be

done. "

Hepatitis C presently causes as many as 10,000 deaths each year from

cirrhosis and liver cancer, and this number is expected to rise. Nearly 4

million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C, and about

36,000 more become infected each year.

Hepatitis C is a quiet killer. The vast majority of people with new

hepatitis C infection experience no symptoms until many years later when

they develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Only a small number initially

develop the classic symptoms of hepatitis, including jaundice, fatigue,

abdominal pain, loss of appetite and vomiting.

Doctors say people with any of the risk factors for hepatitis C should

consider having a blood test, because treatments are now available to

eradicate the virus in many before it causes permanent liver damage or

cancer.

Tattooing has been shown to transmit other infectious diseases, including

hepatitis B, syphilis, leprosy and tuberculosis. Small outbreaks of

hepatitis have been identified in customers visiting certain commercial

tattoo parlors on the same day.

Fine-art tattooing has become a common practice, particularly among

teen-agers and young adults. Sociological studies of tattoo recipients,

however, have shown that few recipients compare tattoo parlors or watch a

tattooing procedure before getting one, and few consider tattooing a future

health risk.

Haley is the study's lead author. Fischer is an internal medicine

specialist, formerly at the Dallas Spine Group and presently at Presbyterian

Hospital of Dallas.

###

This news release will be available April 4 on our World Wide Web home page

at

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/home_pages/news/

[Guest guest]

Carefully watch Dr. Haley's researh! We WILL Benefit. . . . . eventually!

MM / NSIF

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation

Dallas, Texas Headquarters

----- Original Message -----

From: " Robin Amerine " <Robin.Amerine@...>

<UTSWNEWS@...>

Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 3:47 PM

Subject: News release from UT Southwestern for April 4

Media Contact: Mindy Baxter

214-648-3404

melinda.baxter@...

TATTOOING A MAJOR ROUTE OF HEPATITIS C INFECTION,

UT SOUTHWESTERN RESEARCHER FINDS

DALLAS - April 4, 2001 - Getting a tattoo could be a key infection route for

hepatitis C, the most common chronic viral infection affecting almost 2

percent of the United States population, according to a study by a UT

Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas researcher.

Dr. Haley, chief of epidemiology, writes in the March issue of the

journal Medicine that tattooing has been previously overlooked as a

widespread source of hepatitis C, a potentially fatal disease that attacks

the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. It affects 2 percent of

the U.S. population.

The study found that people who had received a tattoo in a commercial tattoo

parlor were nine times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C than

people who did not have a tattoo.

Participants in the study were patients of an orthopaedic spinal clinic, a

setting that provided a large volume of patients seeing a physician for

reasons unrelated to blood-borne infection. Participants unaware of their

hepatitis status were examined, interviewed for risk factors and tested for

hepatitis C by the study's co-author Dr. Fischer.

Of 626 patients studied, 113, or 18 percent, had a tattoo. Of those with a

tattoo, 22 percent were infected with hepatitis C. Of the 52 patients who

had acquired their tattoos in commercial tattoo parlors, 33 percent had

hepatitis C. In contrast, only 3.5 percent of patients with no tattoos had

hepatitis C. Few of the tattoo-associated infections could be traced to

injection-drug use, transfusions or other known routes of exposure.

" Prior studies were unable to account for a substantial proportion of

infections, perhaps 40 percent or more, by the accepted risk factors like

injection-drug use and transfusions, " Haley said. " That suggested that

important risk factors were yet to be identified. Tattooing appears to be

one of those. It has proven to be an important route of infection in other

countries, but its role in the United States has received too little study

until now. "

Patients in the study were asked questions about the number of tattoos they

had, the surface area covered by tattoos, the colors in the tattoos and

where they had received the tattoos. Study participants also were asked

about other possible hepatitis C risk factors, including injection-drug use,

prior blood transfusions, sexual promiscuity, acupuncture, electrolysis,

occupation, ethnic factors, obesity and others.

The study found that people who had several tattoos, or complex or large

tattoos had an increased risk of having hepatitis C and that people with

white, yellow, orange or red pigments in their tattoos also were more likely

to have hepatitis C than those with only black. These characteristics

reflect tattoos acquired in commercial tattoo parlors.

The risk of hepatitis C infection was also higher among patients with a

history of injection-drug use, hospital custodial workers, and people who

drank beer heavily, but the risk was not increased for those who drank only

wine or liquor.

Although hepatitis C can be transmitted by an infected blood transfusion,

this route of infection was too rare to show a discernable contribution to

the overall infection rate in the population at large.

" Most importantly, we found that commercially acquired tattoos accounted for

more than twice as many hepatitis C infections as injection-drug use, " Haley

said. " This means that it may have been the largest single contributor to

the nationwide epidemic of this form of hepatitis. "

Hepatitis C can be passed through tattooing by reuse of tattooing needles or

dye, inadequate sterilization of tattooing needles between customers, or

breaks in sterile technique such as the artist pricking the back of his or

her hand to test the needle's sharpness. Few states have hygienic

regulations to ensure safe tattooing practices in commercial tattoo parlors,

and even fewer monitor and enforce standards.

Patients for the study were interviewed and tested in 1991 and 1992.

" The results of the study were not published then because other

epidemiological studies at the time were expected to address the issue, but

they did not, " said Fischer. " This was the last study done before widespread

hepatitis C testing began, when a largely unbiased study could still be

done. "

Hepatitis C presently causes as many as 10,000 deaths each year from

cirrhosis and liver cancer, and this number is expected to rise. Nearly 4

million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C, and about

36,000 more become infected each year.

Hepatitis C is a quiet killer. The vast majority of people with new

hepatitis C infection experience no symptoms until many years later when

they develop liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Only a small number initially

develop the classic symptoms of hepatitis, including jaundice, fatigue,

abdominal pain, loss of appetite and vomiting.

Doctors say people with any of the risk factors for hepatitis C should

consider having a blood test, because treatments are now available to

eradicate the virus in many before it causes permanent liver damage or

cancer.

Tattooing has been shown to transmit other infectious diseases, including

hepatitis B, syphilis, leprosy and tuberculosis. Small outbreaks of

hepatitis have been identified in customers visiting certain commercial

tattoo parlors on the same day.

Fine-art tattooing has become a common practice, particularly among

teen-agers and young adults. Sociological studies of tattoo recipients,

however, have shown that few recipients compare tattoo parlors or watch a

tattooing procedure before getting one, and few consider tattooing a future

health risk.

Haley is the study's lead author. Fischer is an internal medicine

specialist, formerly at the Dallas Spine Group and presently at Presbyterian

Hospital of Dallas.

###

This news release will be available April 4 on our World Wide Web home page

at

http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/home_pages/news/