From molecule to diagnostic tool: Theileria annulata surface protein TaSP

Isolation and characterization of the Theileria annulata macroshizont stage protein TaSP showed that this parasite surface membrane protein is a highly antigenic protein suitable for the development of diagnostic tools for tropical theileriosis. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of circulating antibodies against Theileria annulata was established and validated using the recombinantly expressed TaSP protein. The ELISA has subsequently been applied for cross-sectional surveys to determine the distribution and prevalence of tropical theileriosis in Sudan.     

Cost analysis of operating the oral health service of the regional hospital center of Ziguinchor (Senegal)]

This study related to the analysis of the cost of operation of the service of oral health in the regional hospital complex of Ziguinchor for the year 2002. Its objective is to analyze the costs of operation of the service in order to allow a good covering of the costs while guaranteeing the accessibility to care and the perennity of the offer of service. The methodology used for the determination of the costs was the method of the complete costs (or method of the homogeneous sections). The various services provided by the service were identified. The resources mobilized for the realization of these services were determined and developed. They were classified in direct loads, i.e. directly ascribable to the provided service and in indirect loads when the resources are common to more than one service. The charge of the indirect loads was done thanks to a scale. The total cost of operation of the service of stomatology for year 2002 amounts to 11464943 F CFA. Two financial backers intervened with the financing of the service. The public funds support 75% of the loads and the community 25%. The cost to be recovered is 2845513 FCFA. The rate of covering is surplus for all the services safe for the oral surgery, the obturations with the composites and radiography. It is thus of primary importance to re-examine tariffing in force with the fall. This fall of tariffing will certainly make it possible to take restraint measures of the exemptions from payment. The covering of the costs by the means of the Community participation requires the installation of a tariffing likely to ensure the perennity of the services and to avoid exclusion.     

Home discharge experience with the Thoratec TLC-II portable driver

With the growing success and expanded use of ventricular assist devices, home discharge with independent ambulation and self-care are now important issues. We describe our initial home discharge experience with the Thoratec TLC-II portable drive. Patients discharged home were required to have five outpatient excursions (three monitored) before discharge and were seen weekly after discharge. Between August 2000 and December 2004, 14 patients (average age, 57 years) were placed on the TLC-II portable driver. One patient on the TLC-II portable driver had left ventricular assist device removal after 50 days of support but before discharge. Thirteen patients were discharged from the hospital with average time at home of 62 days (range, 16 to 243 days). After discharge, the TLC-II portable driver was maintained in the auto mode at average settings of 78 beat rate, 5.1 L/min flow rate, 204 mm Hg ejection pressure, and -8.4 mm Hg fill vacuum. A total of 5852 alarms (average, 6.7 per day) were recorded with 2373 battery reminders (41%), 1922 occlusion alarms during sleep (33%), and 1461 no-fill signals (25%). There were no readmissions for device malfunction, emergency battery utilization or back-up unit use. These results demonstrate that the Thoratec TLC-II portable driver is safe, reliable, and can be effectively managed at home.     

Hématome duodénal intramural suite à un surdosage aux AVK. Apport de la tomodensitomérie. A propos d’un cas

Spontaneous intramural duodenal hematoma is considered as a rare complication of anticoagulant therapy. We report the clinical case of a spontaneous duodenal hematoma at a patient 83 years old after VKA overdose diagnosed at CT scan.     

Investigation of Clostridium botulinum in commercial poultry farms in France between 2011 and 2013

Between 2011 and 2013, 17 poultry botulism outbreaks were investigated in France. All cases were associated with Clostridium botulinum type C–D. Presence of C. botulinum was studied in seven areas: poultry house, changing room, ventilation system, surroundings, animal reservoirs, water, and feed. Swabs, litter, soil, darkling beetles, rodents and wild bird droppings, feed and water samples were collected. The presence of C. botulinum type C–D in the environment of affected flocks was detected in 39.5% of the 185 samples analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. C. botulinum type C–D was reported in each area. Four areas were more frequently contaminated, being found positive in more than one-half of farms: darkling beetles (9/11), poultry house (14/17), water (13/16) and surroundings (11/16). After cleaning and disinfection, the ventilation system and/or the soil (in the houses and the surroundings) returned positive results in four out of eight poultry farms. Consequently, darkling beetles, the drinking water, the ventilation system and the soil in the surroundings and the houses were identified as the main critical contaminated areas to consider in poultry farms to prevent recurrence of botulism outbreaks.     

Lunasin potentiates the effect of oxaliplatin preventing outgrowth of colon cancer metastasis, binds to α5β1 integrin and suppresses FAK/ERK/NF-κB signaling

The effect of lunasin on colon cancer metastasis was studied using three human colon cancer cell lines in vitro and a liver metastasis model of colon cancer in vivo. Lunasin bound with α₅β₁ integrin and internalized into the nucleus of KM12L4 human colon cancer cells. Lunasin (10 μM) inhibited the activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) by 28%, 39% and 60% in RKO, HCT-116 and KM12L4 human colon cancer cells, respectively. Lunasin caused an increase in the expression of the inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IκB-α), a decrease in nuclear p50 NF-κB and a reduction in the migration of cancer cells. Lunasin (4 mg/kg bw) inhibited metastasis and potentiated the effect of oxaliplatin by reducing the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Liver metastatic nodules were reduced from 28 (PBS) to 14 (lunasin, P = 0.047) while combination of lunasin and oxaliplatin to 5 (P = 0.004). The tumor burden was reduced from 0.13 (PBS) to 0.10 (lunasin, P = 0.039) to 0.04 (lunasin + oxaliplatin, P < 0.0001). Moreover, lunasin potentiated the effect of oxaliplatin in modifying expression of proteins involved in apoptosis and metastasis including Bax, Bcl-2, IKK-α and p-p65. Lunasin inhibited metastasis of human colon cancer cells by direct binding with α₅β₁ integrin suppressing FAK/ERK/NF-κB signaling, and potentiated the effect of oxaliplatin in preventing the outgrowth of metastasis.     

Gastrointestinal illnesses among French forces deployed to Djibouti: French military health surveillance, 2005-2009

Despite an increase in foreign tourism and in the numbers of foreign military personnel deployed to Djibouti, little is known about the risk of gastrointestinal illness in this country in eastern Africa. To assess risk and to describe common features of gastrointestinal illnesses, reports of illness derived from military health surveillance data collected during 2005-2009 among French service members deployed to Djibouti were reviewed. Diarrhea was the most common problem; it had an annual incidence ranging from 260 to 349 cases per 1,000 person-years. The risk was higher among soldiers deployed short-term (four months) than among soldiers deployed long-term (two years). This five-year review of French health surveillance data documents a significant burden of diarrhea among French soldiers in Djibouti. The identification of factors associated with risk may permit efficient targeting of interventions to reduce morbidity from gastrointestinal illness.