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Biomedical subjects

E Delaporte

Publications and source records attributed to E Delaporte.

248 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Antibody prevalence against haemorrhagic fever viruses in randomized representative Central African populations.

Between 1985 and 1987, 5,070 randomly selected persons living in 6 central African countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon) were checked for serological evidence of haemorrhagic fever. Rural and urban areas were studied, including ecoclimatic zones ranging from dry savana to tropical rain forest. Virus-reactive antibodies were found with all antigens tested, and the global prevalence of positive sera was distributed as follows: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, 0.22%; Rift Valley fever virus, 0.18%; Ebola virus, 12.40%; Marburg virus, 0.39%; Lassa virus, 0.06%; and Hantaan virus, 6.15%. A significant variation in antibody prevalence was observed within the study regions. Association between the viruses was not observed.

Africa, Central↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment regimens of STD patients in Cameroon: a need for intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The management of patients with STDs is an important element in the fight against AIDS. To define effective STD control strategies a survey was carried out to understand the attitudes of STD patients and the treatment regimens they follow. STUDY DESIGN: The study was based on interviews with male patients with typical symptoms of urethritis leaving private pharmacies in Douala and Yaoundé. Each case was asked to answer a questionnaire comprising the origin of the therapeutic choice, the nature and cost of the treatment and any advice received. RESULTS: Fifty-six men in Douala and 86 in Yaoundé were recruited. The sources of prescription were dispensary (38%, 54%) private MD (9%, 15%) pharmacist (7%, 9%), diverse (46%, 21%) in Douala and Yaoundé respectively. At least two medicines were recommended in three-quarters of the patients. The most frequently used antibiotics were aminoglycosides and penicillin. The cost of the treatment ranged from $3.50 to $110. The more "medical" the initial visit, the higher was the cost of the prescribed treatment. In Douala only 49% of the prescribers advised the patients to treat their partners and condom promotion was done by 21% of the prescribers. CONCLUSION: This survey provides useful data on the care of patients with urethritis. Such surveys are simple, rapid, reasonable inexpensive (about $10,000) and contribute to the efficient design of STD control strategies. In addition, repeat survey to monitor the impact of the strategies are simple to carry out.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis of cytokines by eosinophils and their regulation.

In addition to cytotoxic and proinflammatory mediators, eosinophils can produce a variety of cytokines and growth factors. Besides interleukin (IL)-5, we show in the present work that human eosinophils can synthesize interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-10, by RT-PCR, in situ hybridization and immunostaining. Double-labelling procedures revealed the coexpression of IL-5 and IL-10 but not IL-5 and IFN-gamma, indicating the existence of subpopulations of eosinophils expressing type 1 or type 2 cytokines. IFN-alpha efficiently used for the treatment of hypereosinophilic syndromes can significantly decrease eosinophil degranulation and IL-5 release by eosinophils, through binding to a receptor for IFN-alpha. Thus, eosinophils can represent major sources of cytokines with regulatory functions, especially in allergic diseases and parasitic infections.

Cytokines↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differentiation of eosinophils from cord blood cell precursors: kinetics of Fc epsilon RI and Fc epsilon RII expression.

Expression of Fc epsilonRI and Fc epsilonRII/CD23 was examined by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry on eosinophils differentiated from human cord blood cells in the presence of human interleukin-3 (rhIL-3), granulocyte/macrophage colony stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) and interleukin-5 (rhIL-5) and on blood eosinophils purified from normal donors or patients with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). On cord blood derived eosinophils, Fc epsilonRI expression started at 1 week of culture and increased to reach a plateau at 3 weeks of culture. Fc epsilonRII/CD23 appeared slightly later, after 2 weeks of culture, and the percentage of Fc epsilonRII/CD23-positive eosinophilic cells increased and stayed in plateau. Fc epsilonRI expression on cord blood derived eosinophils was downregulated after culture with interleukin-2 (rhIL-2), interleukin-4 (rhIL-4), rhIL-5, interferon-alpha (rhIFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (rhIFN-gamma). In contrast, the expression of Fc epsilonRII/CD23 on cord blood derived eosinophilic cells was upregulated after culture with rhIL-4, rhIL-5 and rhIFN-gamma, and downregulated with rhIL-2 and rhIFN-alpha. Fc epsilonRI was expressed on about 30% normal donor eosinophils as well as on normodense eosinophils from HES patients but significantly decreased on hypodense eosinophils. In contrast, Fc epsilonRII/CD23, expressed on a very small proportion of normal donor eosinophils, increased from normodense to hypodense eosinophils. These results suggest that Fc epsilonRI on eosinophils might represent one differentiation antigen expressed relatively early, with decreased expression through maturation or activation, whereas Fc epsilonRII/CD23 might rather be considered as a marker of eosinophil activation.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevalence and genetic variants of hepatitis GB-C/HG and TT viruses in Gabon, equatorial Africa.

The distribution of Hepatitis GB-C/HG (GB-C/HG) and TT viruses (TTV) infections was investigated in selected populations from Gabon using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for anti-Envelop 2 (anti-E2) GBV-C/HGV antibodies. Among pregnant women, 29 of 229 (12.6%) were Hepatitis GB virus-C and Hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) RNA positive (+) and 32 of 81 (39.5%) anti-E2 + versus 8 of 39 (20.5%) TTV DNA +. Among sickle cell anemia patients, 9.7% (3/31) were GBV-C/HGV RNA + versus 22.5% (7/31) TTV DNA +. For tuberculosis patients, the figures were 11.5% (4/35) and 0%. A study of hepatocellular carcinoma cases (n = 27) versus controls (n = 66) did not show significant differences for GBV-C/HGV RNA (10.7% versus 12.1%) and TTV DNA (44.4% versus 30.3%). According to phylogenetic analysis, the 15 GBV-C/HGV strains investigated clustered in group 1, the most common in sub-Saharan Africa whereas TTV sequences (n = 4) mostly clustered in genotypes G1 and one close to genotype G3. In the Gabonese populations investigated, GBV-C/HGV and TTV infections were highly endemic. These data are consistent with the low pathogenicity of these agents.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Subcorneal pustulosis and Pyoderma gangrenosum associated with a biclonal gammopathy.

Pyoderma gangrenosum and subcorneal pustulosis are two neutrophilic dermatoses. Their occurrence in the same patient is rare and may be related to an IgA dysglobulinemia. We report a case presenting these two conditions associated with a biclonal benign IgA and IgG gammopathy. A 67-year-old man exhibited typical pyoderma gangrenosum associated after three years duration with subcorneal pustulosis lesions, confirmed by cutaneous biopsy. Laboratory results showed a biclonal benign IgA and IgG kappa gammopathy. Therapeutic management was difficult: Pyoderma gangrenosum responded well to corticosteroids but subcorneal pustulosis management was harder and treatments were poorly effective.Pyoderma gangrenosum and subcorneal pustulosis are a part of the neutrophilic spectrum. Their association has been only reported in eleven patients. In eight cases, an IgA dysglobulinemia was associated suggesting its responsibility in the occurrence of both dermatoses. Treatments are various and not fully effective. If the Pyoderma gangrenosum usually responds to corticosteroids, the subcorneal pustulosis treatments are not well defined and often not efficient. Our case illustrates the dissociated evolution of these two dermatoses and their difficult global management. During the follow-up, a regular search for dysglobulinemia is required in order to detect malignant transformations.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiologic aspects of malaria in Gabon].

The authors report the results of 3 sample surveys carried out in Libreville, Ngounié and Haut-Ogooué Provinces to evaluate the main malarial indexes among 0 to 15 years old children in Gabon. These investigations would suggest that malaria is mesoendemic in the three areas. The systematic presumptive antimarial treatment of fever attacks is widely used in Libreville but not so frequent in rural areas.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Gabon. Apropos of 23 cases at the internal medicine service of the hospital centers in Libreville and Franceville, 1985-1987].

In 1986 prevalence rates of anti-HIV1 antibodies in randomly selected asymptomatic gabonese population ranged from 0.2% in rural areas to, 1.8% in Libreville (the largest town). We report the first description of AIDS cases observed in the hospitals of Libreville and Franceville between 1985 and 1987. 23 patients (14 males, 9 females) met the clinical diagnosis criteria for AIDS according to the provisional WHO clinical case definition for AIDS. 21 of them were gaboneses. The mean age of patients was 32.8, only one child was observed (blood transfused sickle-cell anemia). The only risk factor that we observed three times was blood transfusion. The clinical presentation of those cases will be described. 22 were positive for anti-HIV1 antibodies by Western-Blot analysis of their sera, one was anti-HIV2 positive (a congolese man hospitalized in Franceville for severe weight loss and pulmonary tuberculosis).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modulation of rat hepatic CYP3A1 induction by the interferon inducer polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid (polyic).

Interferon and interferon inducers are well known to depress hepatic cytochrome P-450 (P-450). Previous reports have suggested that all constitutive members of the P-450 family of proteins are affected in this manner, whereas inducible P-450s--including cytochrome P-4503A1 (CYP3A1)--are resistant to the effects of interferons. We examined the effect of interferon [produced in response to polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid (polyIC; 10 mg/kg) administration] on the induction of CYP3A1 in the female rat by the macrolide antibiotic troleandomycin (TAO; 200 mg/kg), and the antiglucocorticoid pregnenolone-16 alpha-carbonitrile (PCN; 300 mg/kg). The induction of CYP3A1 was characterized by erythromycin N-demethylation, Western blotting, and mRNA quantitation with a specific oligonucleotide cDNA probe. PCN-mediated induction of erythromycin metabolism was depressed by 85% following polyIC administration. PolyIC depressed the induction of CYP3A1 apoprotein by TAO (84%) and PCN (73%). The depression of enzyme activity and protein were accompanied by a corresponding decrease in hepatic CYP3A1 mRNA. It is concluded that CYP3A1 is sensitive to the depressant effects of interferon, and that interferon appears to act at a pretranslation step that is independent of the induction process per se.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Development and evaluation of screening algorithms for sexually transmitted diseases in pregnant women at Libreville, Gabon].

The struggle against sexually transmitted diseases (STD) constitutes a priority of public health in developing countries: STD cause complications, particularly in pregnant women, and facilitate the transmission of HIV. One of the strategies in the struggle against STD is the diagnosis and the early treatment of these infections. The STD, and in particular infections of Neisseria gonorrhea and Chlamydia trachomatis, are difficult to diagnose in women without complementary analyses, which primary health care may not be able to supply. Health care provided to patients could be standardized and improved by considering the signs and symptoms. We studied the prevalence and risk factors of STD among 192 pregnant women consulting the health clinic in Libreville, Gabon, in September 1993. The prevalence of STD was high (13.5% rate of cervical infection with gonorrhea or Chlamydia trachomatis). We then evaluated the different diagnostic strategies or algorithms. Regardless of the type of examination (medical interview, simple clinical examination or examination with a speculum), the use of scores integrating risk factors, the clinical signs and symptoms outperformed hierarchical algorithms. This approach was more sensitive and specific and easy to perform. Use of this method may enable more effective screening of STD and also avoid most maternal and perinatal complications.

Adolescent↗