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Previous Volume 343:1268-1270 October 26, 2000 Number 17 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: The patients described by Nortier et al. (June 8 issue)¹ took not only a Chinese herb but also dexfenfluramine, acetazolamide, amphetamines, theophylline, and deadly nightshade.^2,3 The confounding factor of drug interactions was not discussed in the article. More important, the smoking habits of these patients were not detailed, and the investigators did not look for the DNA adducts associated with dexfenfluramine and cigarette tar.

Shu Shum, M.D.
Northwest Texas Hospital
Amarillo, TX 79106

References

1. Nortier JL, Martinez M-CM, Schmeiser HH, et al. Urothelial carcinoma associated with the use of a Chinese herb (Aristolochia fangchi). N Engl J Med 2000;342:1686-1692. [Free Full Text]
2. McIntyre M. Chinese herbs: risk, side effects, and poisoning: the case for objective reporting and analysis reveals serious misrepresentation. J Altern Complement Med 1998;4:15-16. [Medline]
3. Malak J. Chinese herb nephropathy is not a dexfenfluramine nephropathy but a serotonin nephropathy. J Altern Complement Med 1998;4:131-132. [Medline]

References

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