Note from Webmaster Curtis L. Atkin, (September 19, 1999): The late Maxwell Wintrobe MD, famous hematologist and founder of the Medical School at University of Utah, gave this letter from my late "Cousin F" to the late Frank H. Tyler MD, who as Chief of Metabolism was very interested in hereditary diseases. Dr Tyler and (the now Distinguished Professor) Gerald T. Perkoff MD immediately began, on my relatives and me, the first significant study of Alport syndrome since that of Dr A. Cecil Alport in 1927.
March 22, 1949
Professor Wintrobe
Salt Lake City, Utah
Dear Sir,
I am writing you at this time to see if you can give me any suggestions, as to where I might obtain information concerning the disease of nephritis.
During the past three years we have had four of our young men in the family die of this between the ages of 30 and 32.
There are at present close to twenty more in the family of my grandmother who have this disease, and some of them are pretty bad off.
It seems to hit the male side of the family much worse than the female side.
The family as a whole are very ignorant of the symptoms, causes and etc and any information we might obtain would be of real value, and we would greatly appreciate any help you could give us, either by telling us where we could obtain this information or anything else you could suggest.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours very Truly
[Cousin F]
Blanding Utah