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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Histologic comparison of mammary carcinomas among a population of Southwestern American Indian, Spanish American, and Anglo women.

Primary carcinomas of the breast were studied in age-matched populations of Southwestern American Indian, Spanish American, and Anglo women from an area served by the New Mexico Tumor Registry. Histologic tumor type, nuclear grade, and stromal inflammatory response were compared among these three groups. Indian women presented with less favorable tumor stage at diagnosis. Histologic tumor types were similar with the the exception that lobular carcinoma was less frequent among Indian and Spanish American than among Anglo women. Carcinomas from Indian patients showed less differentiated nuclei than those from the other groups.

Adult

Two feminized male American Indians.

Two American Indian males are described who wish to change sex. Both appear to be anatomically normal; one is a monozygotic twin. In both cases, feminine identification began very early in life. In both cases, there were early acceptance and positive reinforcement of the feminine behavior. These two males and the environment in which they live are contrasted with the anthropological literature published decades ago describing the unique Indian tribal role played by feminized males.

Adult

Patterns of ear disease in the southwestern American Indian.

Native Americans are predisposed to one of the highest incidences of otitis media in mankind. The origin of otitis media in Indians remains multifaceted. However, an unusually high prevalence of congenital anomalies of the ear and oral cavity, ie, oral clefts, facial paralysis in diabetics, and the absence of otosclerosis, suggest racial inheritance as a predominant factor for their pattern or ear disease. An analysis of outpatient and operative records at the Phoenix (Ariz) Indian Medical Center substantiates this hypothesis and shows contrasts in ear disease between American Indians and white persons.

Acute Disease

Provisional evaluation of the 1970 census count of American Indians.

Estimates of the American Indian population under 20 years of age on April 1, 1970, based on birth and death statistics for a 20-year period, show a possible net undercount of 6.9 percent for this age group in the 1970 census. However, for some particular ages the estimates indicate net overcounts in the census. Likewise, the net increase of the entire American Indian population as measured by the difference between the 1960 and 1970 censuses is 67,000 greater than the natural increase for the decade. Detailed analysis of cohort data with respect to the possible causes of the differences between the estimates and the census figures indicate that a portion of the estimated net overcounts can be attributed to classification, as well as coverage, problems. The estimated net overcounts offer support for the hypothesis that many individuals who were registered as white at birth and who were counted as white in the 1960 census shifted their racial self-identification from white to American Indian during the 1960's.

Adolescent

Low density lipoprotein metabolism and lipoprotein cholesterol content in southwestern American Indians.

The prevalence of ischemic heart disease is significantly lower in southwestern American Indians than in Caucasians. To investigate this difference, the metabolism of low density lipoprotein apoprotein (apo-LDL) and plasma lipoprotein cholesterol composition were studied in 10 southwestern American Indians and 5 Caucasian controls. The plasma concentration of LDL cholesterol in American Indians was 88 +/- 5 mg/dl (mean +/- SEM) and 111 +/- 7 mg/dl in Caucasians. The corresponding values of apo-LDL concentrations were 53 +/- 3 mg/dl and 77 +/- 4 mg/dl, respectively. Conversely, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) concentrations were significantly higher in American Indians (56 +/- 4 mg/dl) than in Caucasians (37 +/- 3 mg/dl). There were no statistically significant differences in the biological half-life of apo-LDL, calculated from the second exponential of the plasma die-away curve (3.06 +/- 0.15 days vs. 3.45 +/- 0.11 days), the fractional catabolic rate of apo-LDL (0.432 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.411 +/- 0.01), or the fraction of total exchangeable apo-LDL in the intravascular space (70 +/- 1 vs. 67 +/- 3%). As derived from the absolute catabolic rate under steady-state conditions, the synthetic rate of apo-LDL in American Indians was, however, significantly lower than in Caucasians (334.6 +/- 7.8 mg/m(2) per day vs. 507.2 +/- 6.7 mg/m(2) per day; P < 0.001). These data indicate that the lower levels of plasma LDL cholesterol and apo-LDL in American Indians are due to a reduced rate of apo-LDL synthesis rather than to differences in fractional catabolic rates. These differences, in combination with higher HDL cholesterol levels, may contribute to the lower prevalence of ischemic heart disease in American Indians.

Adult

Genetic distance between the American Indians and the three major races of man.

The genetic distances between the American Indians and the three major races of man, Caucasoids, Negroids and Mongoloids, were determined by using gene frequency data on 14 blood group and 12 protein loci. The results support the general view that the ancestry of the American Indian is predominantly Mongoloid. Using 30,000 years as the separation time between the American Indian and Mongoloid, the divergence time between the three major races of man was estimated to be 33,000-92,000 years.

Anthropology

Lactase deficiency: a common genetic trait of the American Indian.

Intestinal lactase activity was assessed indirectly in 156 American Indians by measuring breath hydrogen after an oral lactose load. Lactase deficiency was present in 66% of subjects and correlated highly with the percentage of Indian blood. Lactase deficiency was present by the age of 5 years and was unrelated to sex. Most lactase-deficient subjects (81%), but only a minority (23%) of lactase-sufficient subjects, developed symptoms after the oral lactose load, and among lactase-deficient subjects, symptoms occurred more frequently in adults than in children (P = 0.05). Indeed, by history, 53% of lactase-deficient adults, but only 10% of lactase-deficient children under 18 years of age, were aware of milk intolerance. Despite these differences, milk consumption was only slightly less (19 g) in the lactase-deficient subjects than in those with normal lactase activity (25 g) (P less than 0.05). The results indicate that lactase deficiency is a common autosomal genetic trait in the American Indian that becomes manifest in early childhood. Tolerance to dietary lactose appears to decline in the American Indian as he reaches adulthood, but in this population the decline in tolerance had only minor influence on lactose intake.

Adolescent

Histocompatibility antigens in two American Indian tribes of French Guiana.

Two South American Indian populations were typed for HLA antigens. In each, the individuals typed were related and their genealogies were known. Determination of their genotypes was done; there seemed to be neither excess nor deficiency in homozygotes. The antigens observed, A2, A9, Aw19.2 (Aw30-Aw31), A28 for the first locus and B5, Bw15, Bw35, Bw40 for the second locus are in accordance with those previously described for other South American Indians. The two populations belong to the same primary linguistic family Tupi-Guarani and they live in the same geographic area, but there was no intertribal marriage until recently. Genetic drift can explain the differences observed.

French Guiana

Ethanol metabolism in male American Indians and whites.

Ethanol metabolism rates were investigated in a group of 17 male American Indians and a group of 17 male whites of similar age, education, weight, and drinking history. A moderate dose of alcohol (0.52 g/kg) was administered orally to each subject, and blood alcohol levels were determined by breath analysis. The American Indian group demonstrated a significantly faster rate of alcohol metabolism than the white group. The peak blood alcohol level was significantly higher for the American Indians than for the whites, and the American Indian group demonstrated a significantly faster absorption rate than the white group.

Adult

Carcinoma of the gallbladder in a population of Southwestern American Indians.

The clinical and pathological characteristics of gallbladder carcinoma were studied in a group of 56 Southwestern American Indian patients. This is the third most common malignant tumor among American Indian females in a population served by the New Mexico Tumor Registry accounting for 8.5% of specific cancer diagnoses by site. Carcinoma of the gallbladder is relatively more common within the Indian population than among Spanish Americans or Anglos living in this area. This is true for both sexes. No significant differences in average age at diagnosis, ratio of female to male patients, signs and symptoms, stage at diagnosis or survival were detected in comparison with studies pertaining to gallbladder carcinoma in non-Indian populations. A squamous cell carcinoma component was unusually common however, and carcinoma in situ or atypical adenomatous hyperplasia of the mucosa was frequently documented adjacent to invasive carcinoma. Although gall stones were present in tumor containing gallbladders in 93% of cases, elective cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis is probably not a practical means of prevention of this tumor in view of the unusual frequency of cholelithiasis in Indian women. Pharmacological conversion of bile to a non-lithogenic form may deserve consideration as prophylaxis against both cholelithiasis and carcinoma of the gallbladder in this population.

Adenocarcinoma

Gallbladder disease and gallbladder cancer among American Indians in tricultural New Mexico.

Previous studies have reported high rates of gallbladder disease and gallbladder cancer among all American Indians. Data from the New Mexico Tumor Registry confirm these findings, specifically showing high rates for New Mexico's American Indians, as well as for the state's Spanish population. This review explores several risk factors, including parity, obesity, age, cholesterol level, and genetic factors. From the available evidence, genetic factors appear to be the most important, with parity a contributing factor.

Epidemiologic Methods

Tolerance to lactose among lactase-deficient American Indians.

To determine the amount of lactose that could be tolerated in a meal, 59 lactase-deficient American Indians, ranging in age from 5 to 62, were given graded doses of lactose. The diagnosis of lactase deficiency had beeen documented previously by showing increased breath hydrogen after an oral lactose load (2 g per kg, maximum 50 g). With this load, 88% of the subjects had symptoms. On 6 consecutive mornings, each subject was given a breakfast that contained graded doses of lactose ranging from 0 to 18 g. The order of the breakfasts was randomized and the contents were double-blinded. Symptoms, which were assessed by a "blinded" observer, were present after 9% of the breakfasts at all dosage levels, including the lactose-free breakfast. Thus, under the conditions of this study, a modest amount of lactose, equivalent to that present in 1 to 1 1/2 glasses of milk, when taken with a meal, is well tolerated by the lactase-deficient American Indian.

Adolescent

Cirrhosis mortality among American Indian women: rates and ratios, 1975 and 1976.

National sex-specific cirrhosis mortality data for 1975 and 1976 are examined for American Indians, and comparisons are made with two other major racial groups. Females account for almost half of the total cirrhosis deaths among Indians, compared to about one-third of the deaths among each of the other two racial groups. The ratio of male to female death rate is about 2 to 1 for Whites and Blacks, and about 1 to 1 for American Indians. In 1975 one out of four deaths among Indian women of ages 35--44 was attributed to cirrhosis. The age-specific mortality rate for Indian women age 35--54 is about 103 per 100,000 in 1975 and about 128 per 100,000 in 1976, compared to about 37 per 100,000 for Black women and 15 per 100,000 for White women for these years. Rates for male Indians exceed those for female Indians and exceed those for White and Black males. Age-adjusted rates are also presented, and potential areas for future research are suggested.

Adult