Expert Study of Bushes’ Medical Records Is Sought, Report Says

The White House physician has asked an expert in autoimmune disease to look into the apparent coincidence that President and Mrs. Bush have both contracted a non-contagious thyroid ailment, a newspaper reports in today’s editions.

The expert also will look at the records of the first family’s dog, Millie, which has lupus, another autoimmune disease, the New York Times says.

The White House physician, Dr. Burton Lee III, has asked Dr. Charles L. Christian, who is in charge of medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, to look over the medical records of the family and the dog, he told the paper.

The fact that three members of a household within the span of 16 months contracted a disease in which the immune system interferes with the body’s own tissues has set off speculation in medical circles, the paper said.

Some experts suggest that germs or other environmental factors may trigger autoimmune disorders among those who are genetically susceptible, but it has not been proved.

Christian has been asked to study the family’s records to make sure nothing has been overlooked, the paper said. He has been asked to check the medical history on both sides of the family for other cases of autoimmune diseases, it said.

Vice President Dan Quayle and his wife, Marilyn, reportedly have wondered if the disease is linked to old plumbing and lead pipes in the vice presidential residence where the Bushes lived for eight years.

The paper said the Quayles’ concern apparently stems from the fact veterinarians first diagnosed lead poisoning in Millie before determining she suffered from lupus. Although some reports have hinted at links between lupus in families and in their household pets, there is no evidence of transmissions from dogs to humans, the newspaper said.