LSU in heart attack study: Becoming World Authority on Arterial Changes

              Louisiana State university Medical school is on its way to becoming a world leader in a study of early arterial changes leading to heart attacks.
On Monday a group of path-ologists, representing various countries of Latin America, will arrive here for a meeting with LSU scientists.
They will bring with them about 1000 human arteries for grading at LSU laboratories. Some of these arteries were collected here in New Orleans. Others were collected in Latin America.
Also on hand for the meeting will be Dr. John^Moosy, associate professor of pathology at the LSU medical school. Dr. Moosy has been in Antwerp, Belgium since last July setting up another study unit for the examination of arteries collected in Europe and the Orient. This study will place special emphasis on tissue changes leading to, strokes.
Although he won't be here for the meeting, Dr. John Wain-' ivright, professor of pathology at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, is > busy collecting arteries of people living in Africa. About two years igo he spent three weeks studying at the LSU Medical school.
3 YEARS UNDER. WAY
After the arteries are graded it LSU laboratories the scien-;ists who are here for the meet-ng will spend the rest of the veek discussing ways and neans of expanding their study. The world-wide project got un-ier way about three years ago. h Latin America it was inaugurated with the aid of the nstitute of Nutrition of Central American and Panama, an organization supported by the va-ious Central American ountries.
Dr. Henry McGill, head of the athology department at the .SU Medical school, is chief re-earcher. His top collaborators ielude Dr. Ja^k^Strong, asso-iat£ professor of pathology at ,SU, and Drs. Carlos Tejada nd Carlos Restrepo, who are ssociated with INCAP.
Chief brunt of the financing is being borne by the National Institute of Health through grants in aid furnished to LSU and INCAP.
"INCAP is sharing with us the leadership in developing and conducting this study," said Dr. McGill. "Last January a planning meeting was held in Guatemala attended by scientists from 12 laboratories in 11 countries. Every two or three months scientists from INCAP and LSU swap visits. Last August LSU scientists went to Guatemala for a visit taking! with them about 600 arteries for examination."
On Tuesday it will be LSU's turn to play host, the pathologist added.
SAME TECHNIQUES At the January session all the pathologists   agreed   that   they would follow a uniform proce-■ dure  in  carrying  out  the  research.
Dr. McGill said the same tech-! niques are being used in dis-'secting arteries, in staining them and in examining them. "First," he explained, "we measure the amount of fat deposited in the arteries. Next we measure the amount of scar tissue formed. Finally we measure the amount of calcium deposited in the arteries and try to determine presence of blood clots and other complicated changes which stop up arteries."
The pathologist said the collected arteries are shipped about once a month to INCAP's central laboratory in Guatemala. Here they are stained with a red dye to show presence of fat, he explained. Then they are catalogued under code numbers so that none except the statistician can tell what country they come from. Depending on whose turn it is to travelfc the arteries are graded either in Guatemala or New Orleans.
"Up until now we have been using the visual method of study or   grading,"   Dr.   McGill   ex-