Biomedical subjects

G Soula

Publications and source records attributed to G Soula.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

[Imported malaria at the Marseilles Hôpital-Nord, France: a prospective study on 352 cases between 2001 and 2003].

OBJECTIVE: The authors had for aim to study epidemiological, clinical, and parasitological characteristics, as well as regimen received, of imported malaria cases hospitalised at the North University Hospital, in Marseilles, France. DESIGN: The patients presenting with imported malaria included in this study were hospitalised in the infectious and tropical diseases unit and in the pediatrics unit at the North University Hospital, from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2003. Variables were prospectively collected and recorded. RESULTS: 352 patients including 240 adults and 112 children were included. Most of them (67% of the adults and 92% of the children) were contaminated during a trip to the Comoros Islands. Plasmodium falciparum was the most common species identified. 97.5% of adult and 98% of child patients back from Comoros did not take any chemoprophylaxis against malaria or took inadequate regimens. Halofantrin was the most commonly used drug for children to treat uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. In adults, atovaquone-proguanil was used as a first line drug in the absence of vomiting, and a 3-day intravenous regimen of quinine-clindamycin in case of vomiting. CONCLUSION: The specificity of imported malaria in Marseilles is the high proportion of Comorian patients who go back home periodically to visit friends and relatives. A better education of the Comorian population in Marseilles, regarding malaria risks and prophylaxis, needs to be implemented.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Epidemiology and clinical features of vivax malaria imported to Europe: sentinel surveillance data from TropNetEurop.

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium vivax is the second most common species among malaria patients diagnosed in Europe, but epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria are limited. The TropNetEurop surveillance network has monitored the importation of vivax malaria into Europe since 1999. OBJECTIVES: To present epidemiological and clinical data on imported P. vivax malaria collected at European level. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data of primary cases of P. vivax malaria reported between January 1999 and September 2003 were analysed, focusing on disease frequency, patient characteristics, place of infection, course of disease, treatment and differences between network-member countries. RESULTS: Within the surveillance period 4,801 cases of imported malaria were reported. 618 (12.9%) were attributed to P. vivax. European travellers and immigrants were the largest patient groups, but their proportion varied among the reporting countries. The main regions of infection in descending order were the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, South America and Western and Eastern Africa, as a group accounting for more than 60% of the cases. Regular use of malaria chemoprophylaxis was reported by 118 patients. With 86 (inter-quartile range 41-158) versus 31 days (inter-quartile range 4-133) the median symptom onset was significantly delayed in patients with chemoprophylaxis (p < 0.0001). Common complaints were fever, headache, fatigue, and musculo-skeletal symptoms. All patients survived and severe clinical complications were rare. Hospitalization was provided for 60% and primaquine treatment administered to 83.8% of the patients, but frequencies varied strongly among reporting countries. CONCLUSIONS: TropNetEurop data can contribute to the harmonization of European treatment policies.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Chagas disease in a rural area of Northeast Brazil].

A serological and medical survey on Chagas disease was carried out between December 1997 and June 2000 in four villages of the semi-arid rural Northeast Brazil. The average human serological prevalence rate of 11.8% was strongly linked with age: 1.1% for people under 25, 13.7% for people aged of 26 to 49, 29.5% for people aged of 50+. The clinical form was indeterminate for 57% of the infected population, cardiac for 35%, digestive or mixed for 8%. The infected patients under 55 received at home an etiologic treatment with benznidazol. The survey confirms the drastic reduction of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission during the last decades, especially since 25 years. This situation is the result jointly of the antivectorial activities, improvement of education level and changes in the way of life. However Chagas disease is still a serious problem, especially for numerous middle-aged infected adults. The situation could be improved by increasing the serologic screening in the field as well as the counselling and the treatment of the patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

An adaptive medical e-learning environment: the MEDIDACTE project.

Most e-learning systems offer the same tools and resource materials to students who are different in terms of motivations, training backgrounds, technical skills and learning objectives. Adaptive systems development is a challenge intended to improve the efficiency of these systems. This communication presents the design and implementation of an adaptive medical e-learning environment. The authors describe the MEDIDACTE architecture developed in three levels namely, the educational resource, educational project and user level. Current MEDIDACTE implementation and integration in Marseille Medical University curriculum are presented.

Computer Literacy↗

PubMed2001

[Risk factors for human African trypanosomiasis in the Bipindi region of Cameroon].

In the course of two surveys carried out at the end of 1998 and beginning of 1999, sleeping sickness was diagnosed in a total of 43 people in the Bipindi region of Cameroon. This observation led us to investigate the mechanisms of transmission of human African trypanosomiasis in the epicentrer of the outbreak. A case-control study showed a particularly high risk of infection associated with hunting activities (Odds-Ratio: 2.87; CI 95%: 0.96-9.52). Interpretation of this finding in the light of local geographical features and current entomological data suggests that the higher risk in hunters is linked to the presence of a perennial vector population and absence of domestic pigs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

DI2ADEM: an adaptive hypermedia designed to improve access to relevant medical information.

The World Wide Web (web) provides the same type of information to widely different users and these users must then find the information suitable for their use in the package offered. The authors present the DI2ADEM project designed to take the user into account and intended to provide this user with appropriate medical information. To do that, DI2ADEM is suggesting an adaptive hypermedia based on the management of a meta-knowledge of the user and a knowledge of the information that can be circulated. An adaptive hypermedia prototype devoted to paediatric oncology was implemented on the intranet network of a university hospital.

Diffusion of Innovation↗

PubMed2000

The French Virtual Medical University.

This paper is the description of a French Virtual Medical University based on the federation of existing or currently being developed resources in several Medical Schools in France. The objectives of the project is not only to share experiences across the country but also to integrate several resources using the New Information and Communication Technologies to support new pedagogical approaches for medical students and also for continuing medical education. The project includes: A virtual Medical Campus using secure access from several sites, The Integration of new interactive resources based on pedagogical methods, Implementation of new indexing and search engines based on medical vocabularies and ontologies, The definition of general and specific portals, the evaluation of the system for ergonomics and contents.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

PubMed1999

Macromolecular Colloids of Diblock Poly(amino acids) That Bind Insulin.

The diblock polymer poly(l-leucine-block-l-glutamate), bLE, was synthesized by acid hydrolysis of the ester poly(l-leucine-block-l-methyl glutamate). During the hydrolysis reaction the leucine block precipitates from the reaction mixture, forming nanosized particulate structures. These particles can be purified and further suspended in water or in 0.15 M phosphate saline buffer (PBS) to give stable, colloidal dispersions. TEM analysis shows the predominant particle form to be that of platelets with a diameter of 200 nm. Smaller cylindrical or spherical particles form a relatively minor fraction of the sample. After fractionation, analysis shows the platelets to be compositionally rich in leucine, while the spheres are glutamate-rich. (1)H NMR, CD, and X-ray diffraction indicate that the core of the platelets is composed of crystalline, helical leucine segments. The poly(l-glutamate) polyelectrolyte brush extending out from the two faces of the disk stabilizes individual particles from flocculation. At pH 7.4, the nanoparticles (platelets and cylinders) spontaneously adsorb proteins, such as insulin, directly from solution. Partial desorption of the protein in its native configuration can be induced by simple dilution. The reversibility of the insulin-nanoparticle complex is the basis for a potential new delivery system. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1999

[The focus of human trypanosomiasis in Campo (Cameroon). History and endemic situation in 1998].

For the first time in the last thirteen years, the human sleeping sickness focus at Campo, spanning the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea border areas, has been prospected. The screening was carried out simultaneously on both sides of the border. This focus has been known since the beginning of the century but, contrary to what took place in other well-known foci in bordering countries south of Cameroon, either in the 1920s or the 1980s--there has never been an epidemic outbreak in that area. Such an epidemiological situation makes this focus particularly interesting. Though still active, trypanosomiasis is not very manifest. According to passive screening carried out in recent years, the estimated prevalence ranges between 0.2 and 0.5%. For this screening, 5,255 persons were examined on the Cameroonian side of the focus (90.6% of the census population). The serological screenings were carried out with the CATT 1.3, which is the CATT generally used in screening, and with the latex CATT which associates LiTat 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6. The search for trypanosomes was made by testing the lymph nod juice in presence of adenopathy and in the blood by Quantitative Buffy Coat (QBC), the mini anion exchange centrifugation (mAEC), as well as the in vitro culture using the kit for in vitro isolation of trypanosomes (KIVI) for individuals suspected to be serologically positive. 16 patients were identified in Cameroon but none in Equatorial Guinea. The results show that the Campo focus is active only on the Cameroonian side, centred on the village of Ipono with a limited prevalence (0.3%). The persisting epidemic is most likely to be associated with the presence of pigs carrying the Trypanosoma brucei gambiense which was identified during the study in Ipono. The strain that we isolated was studied by isoenzyme electrophoresis on cellulose acetate. Its zymodeme is the same as that of the human strain isolated in Campo. With the collected epidemiological data, a concerted medical and entomological action could be planned within the limits of the village of Ipono to eradicate the disease. This action may be organised by the existing local health structures. During this study, the latex CATT proved to be more cost-effective than the CATT 1.3 since a similar result was reached requiring eight times less work at a lower cost. This remains to be confirmed in a hyperendemic focus.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

SupraMolecular BioVectors (SMBV) improve antisense inhibition of erbB-2 expression.

New therapeutic strategies are now being developed against adenocarcinoma associated with erbB-2 amplification, particularly by inhibiting p185erbB-2 expression. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides seem promising for this purpose as long as they are efficiently protected against degradation and targeted into the cells. We present antisense oligonucleotide carriers, the supramolecular biovectors (SMBVs), for which we have already demonstrated the ability to improve both cellular uptake and protection of oligodeoxynucleotide. The present work demonstrates that SMBVs elicit a specific and non-toxic action of antisense compounds in a cell model, irrespective of their sensitivity to nucleases. This is a major point, considering the specificity problems associated with the use of nuclease-resistant phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide. SMBVs improve antisense efficiency of oligodeoxynucleotide designed against p185erbB-2, with a complete growth arrest of SK-Br-3, human adenocarcinoma mammary cells that overexpress p185erbB-2 and no effect on MCF-7 cells that normally express p185erbB-2. The comparison of SMBVs with DOTAP reveals the statistically higher efficiency of SMBVs, which allows the antisense inhibition of p185erbB-2 expression in 65-75% of SK-Br-3 cells (P < 0.05). The efficiency and controlled synthesis of SMBVs underline their potentialities as oligodeoxynucleotide carriers for in vivo experiments.

Cell Division↗

PubMed1998

Impact of the TOP-FORUM hypermedia system in a pediatric oncology care unit.

This paper describes our approach in analyzing the impact of the TOP-FORUM hypermedia in a pediatric oncology care unit. The impact of this technology is realized through the study of accommodation and assimilation adoption. Accommodation refers to the technological adoption and Assimilation refers to the professional adoption. Results show that accommodation depends on information and formation of the users. Assimilation is more difficult to evaluate because it depends on human, social and organizational problems.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1997

Clinical immunogenicity and tolerance studies of liquid vaccines delivered by jet-injector and a new single-use cartridge (Imule): comparison with standard syringe injection. Imule Investigators Group.

A new needleless jet-injector, Mini-Imojet, was developed that administers liquid vaccines from a single-use, pre-filled cartridge named Imule, which avoids the risk of cross-contamination. We conducted clinical trials in several settings in France and West Africa to compare the immunogenicity and tolerance of five vaccines (influenza vaccine, Vi capsular polysaccharide typhoid vaccine, tetanus toxoid vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-whole cell pertussis vaccine, and inactivated hepatitis A vaccine) administered with the Imule system vs standard syringe technique. In each vaccine study, all subjects of either group were tested for serum antibody titres to calculate the geometrical mean titres and seroconversion rates after complete vaccination. Immediate local-reactions were noted after each injection, and local and general reactions were evaluated during a predetermined period of follow-up. When delivered by the Imule technique, all the administered vaccines were of equivalent or superior immunogenicity, compared to the syringe technique. The tolerance to vaccines injected by the Imule system was acceptable in all studies. The most frequently observed reactions were mild (e.g. minor bleeding, superficial papules, erythema and induration) and could be considered to be inherent to the injection technique. The technical and safety advantages of the Mini-Imojet/Imule system, compared to sterilizable, standard disposable or autodestruct syringes and to classical multi-dose vial jet-injectors, reinforces the interest of this new injection technique for collective immunizations.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Designing medical hypermedia: the FORUM project.

Medical activity in learning stages or in usual tasks is a wide field for information technologies. But it would be a mistake to focus on technologies and minimize the organisational, social and cultural aspects of integrating such technologies. Medical hypermedia design based only on a technological approach is a case in point. This paper describes our experience in hypermedia development. It reports on the technical, methodological and organizational aspects destined to help the medical community get involved in the development of such applications.

Computer Communication Networks↗

PubMed1996

Involvement of tyrosine kinase activity in the low-density lipoprotein receptor expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549.

In common with other tumour cell lines but in contrast to normal cells, the human adenocarcinoma cell line A549 showed a biphasic regulation of the LDL receptor activity during growth both LDL binding and metabolism (sum of internalised and degraded LDL) increased during the log exponential growth phase and decreased when the cells approached confluence. This period of increasing LDL receptor activity coincided with a high resistance to cholesterol down-regulation which suggested a sterol-independent pathway of stimulation. Since A549 cells have an autocrine loop of growth factors, two of which have tyrosine kinase activity, the LDL receptor activity was tested in the presence of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein. When cells were incubated in the absence of cholesterol (LPDS medium), the inhibition that occurred was two-fold higher during the exponential growth phase than during the confluent phase. Moreover, the residual LDL binding and metabolism after genistein inhibition were completely resistant to down-regulation by cholesterol only during the growth phase. When cholesterol was present (FCS medium). inhibition was observed only during the growth phase. The inhibition of LDL receptor activity by genistein was found to be the result of a loss in the number of LDL binding sites, while the dissociation constant was not affected. This loss was accompanied by a disappearance of mRNA as shown by RNase mapping. By comparison, LDL receptor activity of normal cells (fibroblasts) was also affected by genistein during the exponential growth phase but was much more cholesterol-dependent. Taken together, these results suggest that the tyrosine kinase pathway is essential to up-regulate LDL receptor expression in highly dividing cells and particularly in tumour cells in which the sterol regulation is deficient.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1996

Potential prognostic value in human breast cancer of cytosolic Nme1 protein detection using an original hen specific antibody.

The metastasis-suppressor nme gene (also called nm23), first identified in murine melanoma cells, exists as two forms in human: nme1 and nme2. However, only the lack of expression of nme1 has been related to distant metastasis appearance in human breast cancer. The aim of this work was first to raise specific antibodies to allow the analysis of Nme1 and then, with this specific tool, to evaluate the predictive value of Nme1 detection in cytosolic extracts of human breast tumours. We obtained a hen antibody that specifically reacts with Nme1 without any cross-reaction with Nme2. We analysed the expression of the protein in 59 human breast tumours and found a significant relationship between this expression and oestrogen receptor status (P<0.001). Moreover, Nme1 expression is related to metastasis-free survival (P<0.001) and survival of patients (P<0.001). The determination of Nme1 expression in primary tumours using our antibody should be an interesting predictive test of the metastasis for clinical investigations.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

[Top-Forum: an interactive multimedia knowledge database to improve quality of care in pediatric oncology].

The treatment of pediatric cancer patients is characterised by complex and aggressive chemotherapy, difficult decision making, the numerous protocols available and the necessity of highly skilled caregivers. Quality of care is a major issue in all pediatric oncology units. We created an interactive multi-media database available to each caregiver to permit him/her to have easy access to information and thus increase his/her knowledge and participate in increasing their group's know-how. The computer database is available to all on a free-access basis in each ward. This is a novel approach to quality care, as it accords great importance to personal formation, allowing each caregiver to broaden his/her knowledge via easily obtained data which he/she can help enrich by permanent feedback. This database may become the backbone of department know-how.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Involvement of the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of a 20 kDa protein in the proliferative effect of high-density lipoproteins (subclass 3) on the adenocarcinoma cell line A549.

Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that high-density lipoproteins (subclass 3; HDL3) bind to sites specific for apolipoprotein AI on the human adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and that HDL3 binding promotes a mitogenic effect [Favre, Tazi, Le Gaillard, Bennis, Hachem and Soula (1993) J. Lipid Res. 34, 1093-1106]. In the present study, we have examined the cell proteins that showed modified phosphorylation after binding of HDL3 to specific sites, and the roles of Ca2+ and protein kinase C. Native HDL3 (but not tetranitromethane-modified HDL3) and Ca2+ ionophore A23187 strongly enhanced the phosphorylation of a 20 kDa protein (x 3.6) and, to a lower extent, the phosphorylation of 24 and 28 kDa proteins (x 2.2 and 2.6 respectively). The two effectors were equally able to stimulate cell growth. Down-regulation of protein kinase C by a 24 h incubation of cells with phorbol myristate acetate prevented the effects of HDL3 on the phosphorylation of 24 and 28 kDa proteins. However, the extent of phosphorylation of the 20 kDa protein was not affected. In contrast, activation of protein kinase C by a short incubation with phorbol myristate acetate resulted in inhibition of proliferation and an increase in 24 and 28 kDa (but not 20 kDa) protein phosphorylation. These results suggest that HDL3 putative receptors exert their proliferative effect on A549 cells through activation of a Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase. This kinase activity is not modulated by phorbol ester and thus may be a calmodulin kinase or an isoenzyme of protein kinase C that is independent of phorbol ester. It allows a subsequent 20 kDa protein to be phosphorylated.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1995

[Risk factors in prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation in Burkina Faso].

A case-control study to investigate determinants of preterm delivery and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, was conducted between December 1991 and November 1992. A total of 581 cases were recruited, 281 preterm infants with birthweight < 2500 g and 300 term infants with birthweight < 2500 g. 578 infants born at term with birthweights of 2500 g or more were recruited as controls. Logistic regression analyses identified three factors linked independently to both preterm delivery and IUGR: maternal illness during the pregnancy, nulliparity and failure to attend three antenatal consultations. In addition, primiparity and a maternal weight < 50 kg were associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery. Other factors associated with increased risk of IUGR were maternal height less than or equal to 155 cm, mid-upper arm circumference < 24 cm, and female sex of the infant. Improvements in the pre-pregnancy weight of women and in antenatal care focused on nulli- and primiparous women might in this population, reduce substantially the incidence of preterm delivery and IUGR.

Anthropometry↗