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Biomedical subjects

R Pradinaud

Publications and source records attributed to R Pradinaud.

84 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Delayed culture of Leishmania in skin biopsies.

Between January 1997 and October 1998, 16 skin biopsies collected from 13 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in French Guiana were inoculated in culture medium after travel for 3-17 days from the place of biopsy to the culture laboratory in France. Each biopsy fragment was introduced near the flame of a Bunsen burner into the transport medium (RPMI medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum) which was maintained at ambient temperature during postal delivery to France. In France the biopsies were ground in sterile saline before being inoculated into NNN culture tubes. The cultures were incubated at 25 degrees C and subcultured every week until the 5th week. The cultures were positive in 9 cases, remained negative in 4, and were contaminated in 3 cases. Positive results were obtained at all seasons and for 3 different Leishmania species. The study indicates that delayed culture can yield useful results from biopsies taken in field conditions.

Animals↗

[100 new cases of Hansen's disease discovered during 7 years of dermatologic practice in French Guyana (author's transl)].

From the dermatologic viewpoint Hansen disease represents a significant affection, and our participation for a quarter of the demonstration, although our activity is limited to Cayenne, seems to be particularly necessary. We do not wish to be alone in our interest in this problem, and we sincerely think that in French Guyana any physician should be "Leprolog". The severity of the lepromatous forms and their distribution into any age and place, suggest that it should be considered as a promising disease.

Adolescent↗

[Infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in French Guyana. Dermato-venereologic problems].

Dermato-venereal manifestations in HIV infection and its severe evolution stage, AIDS, is of particular importance in tropical zones: We may be suspicious of the viral infection and consequently to request serologic tests to confirm it. We get an explanation of the virus transmission during heterosexual relations by the frequent occurrence and importance of the genital manifestations, leading to consider AIDS as a true sexually transmitted disease. Beside the classical opportunistic infections, the authors draw the attention to three types of manifestations: prurigo, already well known in Haïti and Africa capillary dystrophies, already reported in Haïti donovanosis that, because its epidemiological and etiopathological peculiarities, should be listed within the possible opportunistic infection if we take into consideration the regional pathological environment. In an other correction, syphilis, lepra and cutaneous leishmaniasis have to be carefully monitored, because they are capable to evaluate unexpectedly in some immunodepressive diathesis. Importance of dermato-venereal pathology in black people in tropical zone is explained by the weakness of cutaneous corneal stratum, immunologic disorders linked up to accumulated parasitic pathologies, socio-cultural life with a sexuality without complex.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in mothers and infants in French Guyana. Epidemiologic study apropos of 44 women having conceived 55 children].

The French Guyana is an Overseas French Department in South America, with 100,000 inhabitants among them are 20% of Haitian immigrants. At 31 December 1987, 103 AIDS cases have been recorded, 86% by heterosexual transmission. The first case dated May 1979 was retroactively diagnosed in an Haitian parturient, thank to her serum kept in the Pasteur institute of Cayenne. 44 women got their pregnancy during their HIV infection: 5 with clinical and biological evidence of AIDS, 7 developed AIDS after getting pregnant, and 10 out of these 12 women died. All of them were from a rather low social group and, generally, were not married. 43 are black (40 Haitians and 3 Guyanese Creoles), one is Indian and presented some psychic disorders. The mean age was 32 1/2 (from 15 to 51 years old). 55 babies were born: 12 developed AIDS (6 died during the first 15 months of their life); 14 are HIV +, 3 stillborns, 4 never tested and 22 developed negative reaction (with ELISA and Western-Blot) between 7.5 and 10 months of their life. Two Hutchinson's triads were observed. Prurigo is the most commonly skin manifestation observed.

AIDS Serodiagnosis↗

[Problems posed by HIV infection in women in tropical zones].

Retroviruses (mainly H.I.V. 1 and H.I.V. 2) are now largely spread over in Central Africa and Caribbean Islands, particularly in large cities. Their transmission is essentially horizontal and mainly sexual. As a matter of fact, sexual transmission is responsible in about 80% of the cases, leaving only a small percentage to transmission by needle (or by any aggressive material), blood or blood by-products. As far as sexual transmission is concerned, it is essentially heterosexual, in spite of the primary epidemic outbreak in the occidental world that focused interest toward male homosexual group, the first exposed to A.I.D.S. Nowadays we know that heterosexual transmission is important and bi-directionnal, even if transmission female to male has seemed to be more difficult to enlight, as it is common in sexually transmitted diseases. Transmission risk to an heterosexual partner is between 20 and 70%. Virus is present in semen, and in cervico-vaginalis secretions during all menstruation cycle. Vertical transmission, mother to child, through placenta or during delivery is frequent, and is of about 50%. First data on heterosexual transmission have been found in Central Africa, indicating high rates for prostitutes, their "customers", unmarried women with numerous partners, women with an other S.T.D. A.I.D.S. in child has been first described in Haïti and in Zaïre. The very important role played by heterosexual transmission imposed sanitary education and usage of contraceptives which are efficient but difficult to firmly recommended for social and cultural considerations.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Genital ulcers in French Guyana. Apropos of 231 cases screened in 2 years].

In fight against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD), 231 cases of genital ulcers were observed, in 1985 and 1986, in Cayenne (French Guiana) according to a clinical and laboratory study protocol described by the authors. The diagnosis shown, in 146 cases, one STD agent, with a high frequency of chancroid, herpes genitalis and primary syphilis. In addition, 18 cases of mixed genital infections are described: emphasis is laid on the great diversity of these associated diseases. 67 genital ulcers had not been caused by a STD agent, however in each case a complete laboratory investigation was done, and each patient received a treatment according to the diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

[Between Yucatan, Florida and French Guiana does lobomycosis exist in the Antilles?].

Lobomycosis, or Blastomicose queloidiforme de Jorge Lobo, has been described in men around the North of South America, Central America, and the case reported in Yucatan, Mexico, is the northest. The same disease has been seen in Dolphins in Florida, where the humans cases are unknown. Epidemiology, pathogenic curiosities, and diagnosis are presented for all practicians in the geographic area.

Adult↗

[24 cases of donovanosis in French Guiana].

24 cases of Donovanosis (Granuloma inguinale) have been observed at the Dermatology Clinic of the Centre Hospitalier of Cayenne (French Guyana) between 1970 and 1980, representing a high rate for a 60,000 population. All the patients were coloured people. The disease is more important in the cutaneous parts of the ano-genital areas, than on the mucous parts. The "carcinoid" aspects of some histopathological exams must be considered with the bacteriological research and the very soft clinical aspects. It is often caused by intrarectal sexual contacts whether homo- or heterosexual. The high rate of Donovanosis within the homosexual population is a good argument for an intestinal localisation of the germ Calymnatobacterium granulomatis. All the cases diagnosed show an individual susceptibility to this disease. A deficit of cellular immunity as found in lepromatous leprosy seems a very attractive hypothesis. The treatment with 4 g of streptomycin by day during 5 days or more is considered as the best actually.

Calymmatobacterium↗