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Non-Tech : Bill Wexler's Dog Pound -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Marconi who wrote (2245)	7/16/1999 11:47:00 AM
From: out_of_the_loop	Respond to of 10293

Dear Marconi: You may see that test (placebo vs. Zicam) when the study is published. Regarding the extent of duration of symptoms, those are in the literature. In the recent Tramacamra study published in JAMA, most of the symptomatic people had their symptoms for more then 8-9 days before they leveled off. Indeed, different people are affected differently. Zicam is being tested for use with common allergies but that does not imply that it works as an antihistamine, a specific class of drug that blocks a specific group of cellular mechanisms. Zicam acts on the nasal ICAM with respect to the cold virus and there are similar ICAM on several different cells involved in the allergic response. Indeed, the histamine response is but one of the immunomodulators that results in changes in vascular permeability (symptom = congestion) and indeed, I posted a reference to an article in May, 1999 Blood, a leading hematology journal, that described interactions of ionic zinc with vascular tissue ICAM. I think you have misinterpreted the concept of "studying" and "already having the answer" - precisely the latter is what the company has been accused of here on this board when precisely the former is what they are actually doing. This is not a personal criticism but my conclusion based on your drawing conclusions about a postulated mechanism that are likely not accurate and also likely no in the minds of the researchers. I do appreciate the question and I do admit the potential of personal fallibility. Regards, Howard