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Biomedical subjects

J M Morrison

Publications and source records attributed to J M Morrison.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Hepatitis B vaccine: demonstration of efficacy in a controlled clinical trial in a high-risk population in the United States.

We assessed the efficacy of an inactivated hepatitis B vaccine in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind trial in 1083 homosexual men known to be at high risk for hepatitis B virus infection. The vaccine was found to be safe and the incidence of side effects was low. Within two months, 77% of the vaccinated persons had high levels of antibody against the hepatitis B surface antigen. This rate increased to 96% after the booster dose and remained essentially unchanged for the duration of the trial. For the first 18 months of follow-up, hepatitis B or subclinical infection developed in only 1.4 to 3.4% of the vaccine recipients as compared with 18 to 27% of placebo recipients (P < 0.0001). The reduction of incidence in the vaccinees was as high as 92.3%; none of the vaccinees with a detectable immune response to the vaccine had clinical hepatitis B or asymptomatic antigenemia. A significant reduction of incidence was already seen within 75 days after randomization; this observation suggests that the vaccine may be efficacious even when given after exposure.

Adult↗

Parity and breast cancer: evidence of a dual effect.

Epidemiological studies have shown that early first pregnancy reduces the risk of developing breast cancer, which indicates that initiation of the disease occurs at an early age. Thus the subclinical lesion of breast cancer might already be present in the breast before childbearing begins and the growth of any such focus might be modified by the endocrine changes of pregnancy. To test this hypothesis the relation between parity and age at presentation was studied in 341 unselected patients with breast cancer presenting to a single clinic. The mean age at presentation was 5.2 years lower in parous than nulliparous women (p < 0.001) and fell with increasing parity. It is concluded that reproductive history influences not only the risk of breast cancer but also the latent interval of a proportion of breast carcinomas.

Adolescent↗

Examining the homosexual male for sexually transmitted diseases.

Homosexual men may be deterred from seeking an examination for sexually transmitted diseases because it would require an open admission of sexual preference. For these diseases to be controlled, gay men must be motivated to be examined for sexually transmitted diseases. If a medical or health professional feels unable to respond to a gay patient's needs, he should refer the patient to someone who deals well with gay patients. Health care services must be offered in a way that minimizes the anxiety many homosexuals associate with examination and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

Anxiety↗