Showing papers by "Emory University published in 1992"

Foundation for a General Strain Theory of Crime and Delinquency

Abstract: This paper presents a general strain theory of crime and delinquency that is capable of overcoming the criticisms of previous strain theories. In the first section, strain theory is distinguished from social control and differential association/social learning theory. In the second section, the three major types of strain are described: (1) strain as the actual or anticipated failure to achieve positively valued goals, (2) strain as the actual or anticipated removal of positively valued stimuli, and (3) strain as the actual or anticipated presentation of negatively valued stimuli. In the third section, guidelines for the measurement of strain are presented. And in the fourth section, the major adaptations to strain are described, and thcwe factors influencing the choice of delinquent versus nondelinquent adaptations are discussed. After dominating deviance research in the 196Os, strain theory came under heavy attack in the 1970s (Bernard, 1984; Cole, 1975), with several prominent researchers suggesting that the theory be abandoned (Hirschi, 1969; Kornhauser, 1978). Strain theory has survived those attacks, but its influence is much diminished (see Agnew, 1985a; Bernard, 1984; Farnworth and Leiber, 1989). In particular, variables derived from strain theory now play a very limited role in explanations of crime/delinquency. Several recent causal models of delinquency, in fact, either entirely exchde strain variables or assign them a small role (e.g., Elliott et al., 1985; Johnson, 1979; Massey and Krohn, 1986; Thornberry, 1987; Tonry et al., 1991). Causal models of crime/delinquency are dominated, instead, by variables derived from differential association/social learning theory and social control theory. This paper argues that strain theory has a central role to play in explanations of crime/delinquency, but that the theory has to be substantially revised to play this role. Most empirical studies of strain theory continue to rely on the strain models developed by Merton (1938), A. Cohen (1955), and Cloward and Ohlin (1960). In recent years, however, a wealth of research in several fields has questioned certain of the assumptions underlying those theories and pointed to new directions for the development of strain theory. Most notable in this area is the research on stress in medical sociology and psychology, on equity/justice in social psychology, and on aggression in psychology-particularly recent versions of frustration-aggression and social

Mitochondrial genetics: a paradigm for aging and degenerative diseases?

Abstract: Studies of diseases caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations suggest that a variety of degenerative processes may be associated with defects in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Application of this hypothesis has provided new insights into such diverse clinical problems as ischemic heart disease, late-onset diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and aging.

Diseases of the mitochondrial DNA.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 175 THE HUMAN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA AND OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION 1176 Mitochondrial Biogenesis ... 1 176 Mitochondrial OXPHOS Complexes and their Synthesis 1 178 Developmental Regulation of Nuclear OXPHOS Genes 1179 Mitochondrial DNA Genetics 1 1 8 1 MITOCHONDRIAL DNA MUTATIONS AND DISEASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 183 Missense Mutations 1184 Biogenesis Mutations 1 1 88 Insertion-Deletion Mutations . 1 192 Copy Number Mutations 1 195 DEFECTS IN NUCLEAR-CYTOPLASMIC INTERACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 1 195 THE PROGRESSION OF OXPHOS DISEASES AND AGING 1 196 EVIDENCE FOR OXPHOS DEFECTS IN COMMON DEGENERATIVE DISEASES . . ... . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . 1201 METABOLIC AND GENETIC THERAPY OF OXPHOS DEFECTS 1206

Cognitive change, strategic action, and organizational renewal

Abstract: Organizational renewal requires that a firm's top managers make timely adjustments in their mental models following significant changes in the environment. Our initial propositions about the difference between renewal and decline focused on whether similar organizations in similar contexts differ in their ability to recognize significant changes in their environments. Analysis of longitudinal data from a matched pair of U.S. railroads suggested, however, that renewal hinges not so much on noticing new conditions, but on being able to link environmental change to corporate strategy and to modify that linkage over time. In the successful company we studied organizational renewal is a continuous process of first and second order changes in cognitive maps.

Surveillance for dracunculiasis 1981-1991.

Abstract: The World Health Organization hopes to eradicate dracunculiasis by the end of 1995. In some villages dracunculiasis undermines the health of at least 33% of the population at the same time--during the planting or harvest season. Further it is endemic in India Pakistan and 17 Sub-Saharan African countries. The total number of cases is lower than epidemiologists assumed. Humans contract it by drinking stagnant water contaminated with copepods infected with guinea worm larvae. Adult female worms mature in humans in 1 year and emerge through the skin to deposit 1000s of larvae into the water where copepods ingest them. The 1st stage of the eradication campaign is a village by village search which involves mobilizing a large number of public health and other workers to visit all villages in the country over a period of 1-4 weeks to detect cases of dracunculiasis. The detailed data helps policymakers develop an elimination plan. The 2nd stage involves making it mandatory to report dracunculiasis cases and establishing village based monthly monitoring in villages know to have endemic dracunculiasis. At least 1 trained and supervised village resident is responsible for making monthly household visits record cases and report the data from the case register to the nearest primary health outpost each month. Case containment which originated in Pakistan in 1990 the 3rd stage begins when only a few cases remain in a country or subnational geographic area or when someone with dracunculiasis has been introduced into an area where it did not exist. This involves detecting each obvious case as soon as possible (e.g. 24 hours) to prevent further transmission. In India cash rewards motivate villagers to report obvious cases quickly. The last stage is verifying elimination of the disease. The country must prove that there has not been an transmission of dracunculiasis for at least 3 years.

Cough and angioneurotic edema associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy. A review of the literature and pathophysiology.

Abstract: Objective To review available information on cough and angioneurotic edema associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors Data sources All relevant articles from 1966 through 1991 were identified mainly through MEDLINE search and article bibliographies Study selection More than 400 articles were identified; 200 reporting incidence or possible mechanisms for the side effects or both were selected Data extraction and synthesis All pertinent information, including incidence and mechanisms of ACE inhibitor-induced cough and angioedema, was reviewed and collated Conclusions Cough occurs in 5% to 20% of patients treated with ACE inhibitors, recurring with reintroduction of the same or another ACE inhibitor It is more common in women The mechanism may involve accumulation of prostaglandins, kinins (such as bradykinin), or substance P (neurotransmitter present in respiratory tract C-fibers); both bradykinin and substance P are degraded by ACE A 4-day trial of withdrawal of the ACE inhibitor or temporary substitution of another class of antihypertensive agent inexpensively and easily ascertains if the ACE inhibitor caused the cough Change to another ACE inhibitor or additive therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is not recommended Prompt recognition of ACE inhibitor-related cough can prevent unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatment Angioedema occurs in 01% to 02% of patients receiving ACE inhibitors The onset usually occurs within hours or, at most, 1 week after starting therapy The mechanism may involve autoantibodies, bradykinin, or complement-system components Treatment involves first protecting the airway, followed by epinephrine, antihistamines, and corticosteroids if needed Therapy is then resumed with an alternate class of antihypertensive agent

Mitochondrial DNA deletions in human brain: regional variability and increase with advanced age.

Abstract: We have examined the role of somatic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in human ageing by quantitating the accumulation of the common 4977 nucleotide pair (np) deletion (mtDNA4977) in the cortex, putamen and cerebellum. A significant increase in the mtDNA4977 deletion was seen in elderly individuals. In the cortex, the deleted to total mtDNA ratio ranged from 0.00023 to 0.012 in 67-77 year old brains and up to 0.034 in subjects over 80. In the putamen, the deletion level ranged from 0.0016 to 0.010 in 67 to 77 years old up to 0.12 in individuals over the age of 80. The cerebellum remained relatively devoid of mtDNA deletions. Similar changes were observed with a different 7436 np deletion. These changes suggest that somatic mtDNA deletions might contribute to the neurological impairment often associated with ageing.

Molecular cloning and characterization of the constitutive bovine aortic endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase.

Abstract: The constitutive endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (NOS) importantly regulates vascular homeostasis. To gain understanding of this enzyme, a pEF BOS cDNA library of 5 x 10(5) clones was prepared from bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) and screened with a 2.8-kb cDNA BamHI fragment of rat brain NOS. Clone pBOS13 was found to express NO synthase activity when transfected into COS-7 cells. Sequence analysis revealed sequences compatible with binding domains for calcium/calmodulin, flavin mononucleotide, flavin adenine nucleotide and NADPH. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed a protein with a relative mol mass of 133,286, which is 58% homologous to the rat cerebellar NOS and 51% homologous to the mouse macrophage NOS. The amino-terminal portion of the protein exhibits several characteristics peculiar to the endothelial cell NOS. These include a proline-rich region and several potential sites for proline-directed phosphorylation as well as a potential substrate site for acyl transferase. Northern hybridization to mRNA from cultured BAEC revealed an abundant 4.8-kb message, which was not increased by coincubation with tumor necrosis factor alpha, but was markedly increased by exposure to shear stress for 24 h. The unique features of the endothelial cell NO synthase, particularly in the amino terminal portion of the molecule, may provide for novel regulatory influences of enzyme activity and localization.

An Empirical Test of General Strain Theory

Abstract: This paper tests Agnew's (1992) general strain theory (GST) of crime and delinquency. GST argues that strain occurs when others (1) prevent or threaten to prevent you from achieving positively valued goals, (2) remove or threaten to remove positively valued stimuli that you possess, or (3) present or threaten to present you with noxious or negatively valued stimuli. The impact of such strain on delinquency is said to be conditioned by several variables, such as association with delinquent peers and self-efficacy. Data from a sample of 1,380 New Jersey adolescents provide qualified support for the theory; strain measures of the type described above have a relatively substantial effect on delinquency and drug use. Further, the effect of these strain measures is conditioned by delinquent peers and self-efficacy, as predicted by GST.

Politics, institutions, and welfare spending in industrialized democracies, 1960-82

Abstract: We examine the roles of democratic politics and political institutions in shaping social welfare spending in 18 contemporary capitalist democracies. We explore the social spending consequences of government partisanship, electoral competition and turnout, and the self-interested behaviors of politicians and bureaucrats, as well as such relatively durable facets of political institutions as neocorporatism, state centralization, and traditionalist policy legacies. Pooled time series analyses of welfare effort in 18 nations during the 1960–82 period show that electoral turnout, as well as left and center governments increase welfare effort; that the welfare efforts of governments led by particular types of parties show significant differences and vary notably with the strength of oppositional (and junior coalitional) parties; and that relatively neocorporatist, centralized, and traditionalistic polities are high on welfare effort. Overall, our findings suggest that contrary to many claims, both partisan and nonpartisan facets of democratic politics and political institutions shape contemporary social welfare effort.

DNA methylation represses FMR-1 transcription in fragile X syndrome

Abstract: Fragile X syndrome is the most frequent form of inherited mental retardation and segregates as an X-linked dominant with reduced penetrance. Recently, we have identified the FMR-1 gene at the fragile X locus. Two molecular differences of the FMR-1 gene have been found in fragile X patients: a size increase of an FMR-1 exon containing a CGG repeat and abnormal methylation of a CpG island 250 bp proximal to this repeat. Penetrant fragile X males who exhibit these changes typically show repression of FMR-1 transcription and the presumptive absence of FMR-1 protein is believed to contribute to the fragile X phenotype. It is unclear, however, if either or both molecular differences in FMR-1 gene is responsible for transcriptional silencing. We report here the prenatal diagnosis of a male fetus with fragile X syndrome by utilizing these molecular differences and show that while the expanded CGG-repeat mutation is observed in both the chorionic villi and fetus, the methylation of the CpG island is limited to the fetal DNA (as assessed by BssHII digestion). We further demonstrate that FMR-1 gene expression is repressed in the fetal tissue, as is characteristic of penetrant males, while the undermethylated chorionic villi expressed FMR-1. Since the genetic background of the tissues studied is identical, including the fragile X chromosome, these data indicate that the abnormal methylation of the FMR-1 CpG-island is responsible for the absence of FMR-1 transcription and suggests that the methylation may be acquired early in embryogenesis.

Active oxygen species stimulate vascular smooth muscle cell growth and proto-oncogene expression.

Abstract: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) proliferate in response to arterial injury. Recent findings suggest that, in addition to platelet-derived growth factors, growth factors from inflammatory cells and endothelial cells at the site of injury may contribute to VSMC proliferation. We hypothesized that a common mechanism by which endothelial cells and inflammatory cells stimulate VSMC growth could be the active oxygen species (i.e., O2-, H2O2, and .OH) generated during arterial injury. Using xanthine/xanthine oxidase to generate active oxygen species, we studied the effects of these agents on VSMC growth. Xanthine/xanthine oxidase (100 microM xanthine and 5 microunits/ml xanthine oxidase) stimulated DNA synthesis in growth-arrested VSMCs by 180% over untreated cells. Administration of the scavenging enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase demonstrated that H2O2 was primarily responsible for xanthine/xanthine oxidase-induced VSMC DNA synthesis. H2O2 directly increased VSMC DNA synthesis and cell number (maximal at 200 microM) but decreased DNA synthesis of endothelial cells and fibroblasts. This effect was protein kinase C independent: sphingosine, a potent protein kinase C inhibitor, failed to block H2O2-induced VSMC DNA synthesis. H2O2 (200 microM) stimulated c-myc and c-fos mRNA levels by fourfold and 20-fold, respectively, as compared with quiescent levels. In contrast to DNA synthesis, H2O2 induction of c-myc and c-fos mRNA was primarily protein kinase C dependent. These findings show that H2O2 specifically increases VSMC DNA synthesis and suggest a role for this oxidant in intimal proliferation, especially after arterial injury.

Maternally transmitted diabetes and deafness associated with a 10.4 kb mitochondrial DNA deletion.

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common chronic disorders of children and adults. Several reports have suggested an increased incidence of maternal transmission in some forms of DM. Therefore, we tested a pedigree with maternally transmitted DM and deafness for mitochondrial DNA mutations and discovered a 10.4 kilobase (kb) mtDNA deletion. This deletion is unique because it is maternally inherited, removes the light strand origin (OL) of mtDNA replication, inhibits mitochondrial protein synthesis, and is not associated with the hallmarks of mtDNA deletion syndromes. This discovery demonstrates that DM can be caused by mtDNA mutations and suggests that some of the heterogeneity of this disease results from the novel features of mtDNA genetics.

Comparison of Amphotericin B with Fluconazole in the Treatment of Acute AIDS-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis

Abstract: Background. Intravenous amphotericin B, with or without flucytosine, is usually standard therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Fluconazole, an oral triazole agent, represents a promising new approach to the treatment of cryptococcal disease. Methods. In a randomized multicenter trial, we compared intravenous amphotericin B with oral fluconazole as primary therapy for AIDS-associated acute cryptococcal meningitis. Eligible patients, in all of whom the diagnosis had been confirmed by culture, were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either fluconazole (200 mg per day) or amphotericin B. Treatment was considered successful if the patient had had two consecutive negative cerebrospinal fluid cultures by the end of the 10-week treatment period. Results. Of the 194 eligible patients, 131 received fluconazole and 63 received amphotericin B (mean daily dose, 0.4 mg per kilogram of body weight in patients with successful treatment and 0....

Phantom flashbulbs: False recollections of hearing the news about Challenger.

Abstract: When I first heard about the explosion I was sitting in my freshman dorm room with my roommate and we were watching TV. It came on a news flash and we were both totally shocked. I was really upset and I went upstairs to talk to a friend of mine and then I called my parents. I was in my religion class and some people walked in and started talking about [it]. I didn't know any details except that it had exploded and the schoolteacher's students had all been watching which I thought was so sad. Then after class I went to my room and watched the TV program talking about it and I got all the details from that. The two memories above are actual written responses to the question “How did you first hear the news of the Challenger disaster?” The first account was given in the fall of 1988, long after the event, by an Emory senior whom we will call “RT.” It was a vivid recollection, which met or exceeded all the standard tests of a “flashbulb memory.” Asked for 5-point confidence ratings of various aspects of the memory, RT hit the top of the scale: 5 on How did you hear it? (television), Where were you? (her room), What were you doing? (watching television), Who was with you? (roommate), and How did you feel? (shocked and upset).

Native American mitochondrial DNA analysis indicates that the Amerind and the Nadene populations were founded by two independent migrations.

Abstract: Mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from 167 American Indians including 87 Amerind-speakers (Amerinds) and 80 Nadene-speakers (Nadene) were surveyed for sequence variation by detailed restriction analysis. All Native American mtDNAs clustered into one of four distinct lineages, defined by the restriction site variants: HincII site loss at np 13,259, AluI site loss at np 5,176, 9-base pair (9-bp) COII-tRNA(Lys) intergenic deletion and HaeIII site gain at np 663. The HincII np 13,259 and AluI np 5,176 lineages were observed exclusively in Amerinds and were shared by all such tribal groups analyzed, thus demonstrating that North, Central and South American Amerinds originated from a common ancestral genetic stock. The 9-bp deletion and HaeIII np 663 lineages were found in both the Amerinds and Nadene but the Nadene HaeIII np 663 lineage had a unique sublineage defined by an RsaI site loss at np 16,329. The amount of sequence variation accumulated in the Amerind HincII np 13,259 and AluI np 5,176 lineages and that in the Amerind portion of the HaeIII np 663 lineage all gave divergence times in the order of 20,000 years before present. The divergence time for the Nadene portion of the HaeIII np 663 lineage was about 6,000-10,000 years. Hence, the ancestral Nadene migrated from Asia independently and considerably more recently than the progenitors of the Amerinds. The divergence times of both the Amerind and Nadene branches of the COII-tRNA(Lys) deletion lineage were intermediate between the Amerind and Nadene specific lineages, raising the possibility of a third source of mtDNA in American Indians.

Gamma-tubulin is a centrosomal protein required for cell cycle-dependent microtubule nucleation.

Abstract: γ-TUBULIN is a newly identified member of the tubulin family whose sequence is highly conserved from yeast to man. This minor microtubule protein is localized to the microtuble organizing centres1–3 and a mutation in the gene encoding it produces a microtubuleless mitotic arrest in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans4,5. Here we investigate the in vivo function of γ-tubulin in mammalian cells using a synthetic peptide to generate a polyclonal antibody that binds to a highly conserved segment of γ-tubulin. After microinjection into cultured mammalian cells, immunofluorescence localization revealed that this antibody binds to native centrosomes at all phases of the cell cycle. In the presence of the γ-tubulin antibody, microtubules fail to regrow into cytoplasmic arrays after depolymerization induced by nocodazole or cold. Furthermore, cells injected immediately before or during mitosis fail to assemble a functional spindle. Thus in vivo γ-tubulin is required for microtubule nucleation throughout the mammalian cell cycle.

Pathologic findings in pathologic myopia.

Abstract: A retrospective study was conducted of 308 eyes with pathologic myopia obtained from 202 patients (23 surgical eyes; 285 post mortem eyes) over a 67-year period. Histopathologic findings and percentage of eyes affected, in decreasing order of frequency, were myopic configuration of the optic

Mutation of the POU-specific domain of Pit-1 and hypopituitarism without pituitary hypoplasia.

Abstract: A point mutation in the POU-specific portion of the human gene that encodes the tissuespecific POU-domain transcription factor, Pit-1, results in hypopituitarism, with deficiencies of growth hormone, prolactin, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. In two unrelated Dutch families, a mutation in Pit-1 that altered an alanine in the first putative α helix of the POU-specific domain to proline was observed. This mutation generated a protein capable of binding to DNA response elments but unable to effectively activate its known target genes, growth hormone and prolactin. The phenotype of the affected individuals suggests that the mutant Pit-1 protein is competent to initiate other programs of gene activation required for normal proliferation of somatotrope, lactotrope, and thyrotrope cell types. Thus, a mutation in the POU-specific domain of Pit-1 has a selective effect on a subset of Pit-1 target genes.

The social bases of language acquisition

Abstract: A language is composed of conventional symbols shaped by their social-communicative functions. Children acquire these symbols, both lexical and syntactic, in the context of culturally constituted event structures that make salient these functions. In the acquisition process children rely on cultural learning skills (i.e., imitative learning). These skills emanate from their ability to participate intersubjectively with adults in cultural activities (i.e., joint attention), which underlies their ability to understand the ways adults are using particular pieces of language. The development of communicative competence as a whole, including not only lexical and syntactic skills but also various pragmatic skills, depends largely on feedback about communicative efficacy that children receive from different interactants. This feedback is used by children to make further inferences about the conventional functional significance of particular linguistic expressions. This social-pragmatic view of language acquisition obviates the need for a priori, specifically linguistic, format constraints on the language acquisition process.

Risk Factors for Fatal Colon Cancer in a Large Prospective Study

Abstract: BACKGROUND Diet, physical activity, obesity, aspirin use, and family history may all modify the risk of colon cancer, but few epidemiologic studies are large enough to examine these factors simultaneously. PURPOSE We prospectively assessed the relationship of diet and other factors to risk of fatal colon cancer. METHODS Using data from Cancer Prevention Study II--an ongoing prospective mortality study--we studied 764,343 adults who, in 1982, completed a questionnaire on diet and other risk factors and did not report cancer or other major illness. We assessed mortality through August 1988 and identified 1150 deaths from colon cancer (611 men and 539 women). Multivariate analyses were used to compare these case patients with 5746 matched control subjects drawn from the cohort. RESULTS Risk of fatal colon cancer decreased with more frequent consumption of vegetables and high-fiber grains (P for trend = .031 in men and .0012 in women). The relative risk (RR) for the highest versus lowest quintile of vegetable intake was 0.76 in men (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.57-1.02) and 0.62 in women (95% CI = 0.45-0.86). Dietary consumption of vegetables and grains and regular use of aspirin were the only factors having an independent and statistically significant association with fatal colon cancer. Participants who consumed the least vegetables and grains and no aspirin had a higher risk compared with those who consumed the most vegetables and used aspirin 16 or more times per month. For men in the former category, the RR was 2.4 (95% CI = 1.1-5.3); for women, it was 2.9 (95% CI = 1.3-6.7). Weaker associations were seen for physical inactivity, obesity, total dietary fat, and family history. No associations were seen with consumption of red meat or total or saturated fat in either sex, but this finding must be interpreted cautiously. CONCLUSIONS These findings support recommendations that increased consumption of vegetables and grains may reduce the risk of fatal colon cancer. Regular use of low doses of aspirin may prove to be an important supplemental measure.

Southeast Asian Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Reveals Genetic Continuity of Ancient Mongoloid Migrations

Abstract: Human mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) from 153 independent samples encompassing seven Asian populations were surveyed for sequence variation using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction endonuclease analysis and oligonucleotide hybridization. All Asian populations were found to share two ancient AluI/DdeI polymorphisms at nps 10394 and 10397 and to be genetically similar indicating that they share a common ancestry. The greatest mtDNA diversity and the highest frequency of mtDNAs with HpaI/HincII morph 1 were observed in the Vietnamese suggesting a Southern Mongoloid origin of Asians. Remnants of the founding populations of Papua New Guinea (PNG) were found in Malaysia, and a marked frequency cline for the COII/tRNA(Lys) intergenic deletion was observed along coastal Asia. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that both insertion and deletion mutations in the COII/tRNA(Lys) region have occurred more than once.

A phase III trial comparing idarubicin and daunorubicin in combination with cytarabine in acute myelogenous leukemia: a Southeastern Cancer Study Group Study.

Abstract: PURPOSEA randomized clinical trial was undertaken to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of idarubicin (IDR) to daunorubicin (DNR), and both were given in combination with cytarabine (CA) in acute myelogenous leukemic (AML) patients.PATIENTS AND METHODSNewly diagnosed patients were given a daily infusion of CA (100 mg/m2) for 7 days and were assigned randomly to receive DNR (45 mg/m2) or IDR (12 mg/m2) daily for the first 3 days. Those patients who achieved a complete remission (CR) were given three consolidation courses that consisted of CA (100 mg/m2 intravenously [IV]) and thioguanine (TG; 100 mg/m2 orally) every 12 hours for 5 days and either DNR (50 mg/m2) or IDR (15 mg/m2) on the first day of each cycle. After consolidation, patients received late intensification, which consisted of the same drugs used for induction except that the CA was given for 5 days and the anthracycline for 2 days. Four courses were planned at 13-week intervals.RESULTSThe CR rates were 75 of 105 (71%) on the IDR arm and 65 ...