AIDS Researchers Find Youths Can Resist Disease Longer Than Adults

Children and teen-agers infected with the AIDS virus can apparently fend off the disease much longer than adults, suggesting that the immune systems of the young may somehow protect them better, researchers said recently.

A new study of 319 hemophiliacs infected with the virus found that the rate at which they developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome was strongly related to their age. Children and young adults were about five times less likely than adults to get sick over an eight-year period.

“The risk was much lower in those infected as children or adolescents and much higher in those infected over age 35,” said Dr. James Goedert of the National Cancer Institute, who led the study.

“Our best guess (on an explanation) is there are factors associated with getting older,” said Goedert, who published his findings in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Adults may tend to develop the disease sooner because their reserve of immune system cells has been depleted, Goedert said. Adults may also have been exposed to more infections that can flare up when their immune systems are run down by the virus, he said.

University High School of Irvine and Saddleback High of Santa Ana tied for first place in the Student Congress team debate sweepstakes at the recent Orange County Speech League novice tournament, which drew 202 speakers.

First place in school debate was won by El Toro High School. First place in individual speaking went to Irvine High School.

Nadine Iskander of St. Margaret’s High School in San Juan Capistrano and Capistrano Valley High’s Jennifer Nagurski were among the winners of the 1989 Achievement Awards in Writing, the National Council of Teachers of English announced.

The seniors were among 6,000 students representing 2,000 secondary schools nationally who were nominated for the annual award. Each nominee was required to submit two pieces of writing to a panel of college and high school English instructors, who in turn selected 700 winners representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

California recently became the first state to limit the amount of fat and cholesterol in school lunches, according to the November issue of NEA Today, the newspaper of the National Education Assn. A new law requires the state Department of Education to set new guidelines for fat and cholesterol and to order substitutes, such as skim milk, margarine and low-fat cheeses.

“We can fix faulty airplanes, recall poisonous food and even unnecessary weapons. But we can’t recall children. They have only one chance to get an education.”

--Joan Ganz Cooney,

originator of “Sesame Street”