JAN 34 1972

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
BETHESDA, MARYLAND 20014

 

January 28, 1972

Dr. Joshua, Lederberg

Department of Genetics

Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Joshua:

Thank you very much for your note bringing to my attention Platt's
article on the effect of maternal sickling on perinatal mortality.

It was very timely for the same day the spirit moved the powers that
be at the National Heart and Lung Institute to call me for a conference
on a sickle-cell proposal, following my many telephone calls, pleading
and cajoling.

I met with Dr. Zuckel who is the Assottate Director fdr Field Clinical
Trials and two members of his staff. I think that they were duly,
impressed both with the proposal and the article and expressed willing-
ness to support the proposal to some extent but then they proceeded to
give me a very hard time. A few of the institutions in the Collaborative
Study did random screening of there own and we do have data on some
Negro women concerning their sickling status. Dr. Zuckel wants us to
produce for him preliminary tabulations of the existing material to

see if there is anything worthwhile there. Isam extremely relucant

to do it because the only thing that such tabulations will tell us
will have to do with matermal variables but not with outcome (child)
variables. It is true that 50% of the children of sickling women

will also be sicklers but the control population will be diluted by

an equal number of sickling shildren from sickling fathers who are
unknown. Therefore, the effects of sickling will have to be extremely
strong to show a significant relationship with outcome variables. I
think that they are tyying to get out of the long-tem study, which,
however, is the only proper way to proceed.

My own position is also a little difficult. I am still with the
Perinatal Research Branch but the philosophy here now is to finish
the Collaborative Project as soon as possible. Any activity beyond
that required by the protocol is frowned upon and will probably be

oven §
discontinued. I am trying desperately to save the sickle-cell project
and I hope to be able to do it. I will keep you posted on the progress.

With all best regards,

Very sincerely

 

Ntinos C. Myrianthopoulos, Ph.D.

Head, Section on Epidemiology and
Genetics

Perinatal Research Branch

National Institute of Neurological
Diseases and Stroke