Seroprevalence of anti-HIV antibodies in a rural Haitian population

A sero-epidemiological study was conducted from July to August 1988, in a haitian population living in rural area. Out of 116 serum samples searched for H1V1 antibodies and anti-HTLV1, 5.2% and 4.3% were reactive, respectively. Both positivity H1V1/HTLV1 was observed in one case. HBs Ag carriers were 13%. Analysis of seroreactive people in this population enhances the epidemiological trends of AIDS in Caribbean (rural spreading, heterosexual transmission, sex ratio levelling) which relate to african type AIDS.     

Breast milk transmission of a Panton-Valentine leukocidin-producing Staphylococcus aureus strain causing infantile pneumonia

We report on a 38-day-old infant who developed pleuropneumonia due to a Staphylococcus aureus strain responsible for familial furunculosis, which was acquired by maternal breast-feeding. All isolates from the infant and parents were genetically related by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and produced Panton-Valentine leukocidin.     

Recurring bone epithelioid hemangioma

Bone vascular tumors are very rare. Epithelioid types are described according to their architecture, their degree of vascular differentiation, and their cytonuclear atypia. The include epithelioid hemangioma, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, and angiosarcoma. We report a case of L4 corpus vertebral bone epithelioid hemangioma. The patient was a 25-year-old man with a tumor that recurred twice. The lesion was characterized by a vascular lumen lined by cells with regular nuclei and inflammatory infiltrates. Capillaries were lined by prominent epithelioid endothelial cells, associated with CD31+ and cytokeratin-.     

Dynamic balance of metabotropic inputs causes dorsal horn neurons to switch functional states

Sensory relay structures in the spinal cord dorsal horn are now thought to be active processing structures that function before supraspinal sensory integration. Dorsal horn neurons directly receive nociceptive (pain) signals from the periphery, express a high degree of functional plasticity and are involved in long-term sensitization and chronic pain. We show here that deep dorsal horn neurons (DHNs) in Wistar rats can switch their intrinsic firing properties from tonic to plateau or endogenous bursting patterns, depending upon the balance of control by metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) and GABA(B) receptors. We further show that this modulation acts on at least one common target, the inwardly rectifying potassium channel (Kir3). Finally, we found that these firing modes correspond to specific functional states of information transfer in which dorsal horn neurons can faithfully transmit, greatly enhance or block the transfer of nociceptive information.     

Molecular screening of the CFTR gene in men with anomalies of the vas deferens: identification of three novel mutations

Many studies have shown that congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD) is a genital cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-mediated phenotype, with a broad spectrum of abnormalities causing male infertility. The genotype of these patients includes mutations in the CFTR gene, e.g. DeltaDeltaF508, R117H and the T5 allele; all of which are commonly found in CAVD. In this study we have screened the entirety of CFTR gene in 47 males with anomalies of the vas deferens: 37 cases of congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens, three cases of congenital unilateral absence of the vas deferens and seven cases of obstructive azoospermia with hypoplastic vas deferens. Among the 94 chromosomes studied, 65 mutations, of which three are novel (2789+2insA, L1227S, 4428insGA), were identified. The majority of patients (63.8%) had two detectable CFTR gene mutations. Furthermore, high frequencies of the DeltaDeltaF508 mutation (44.7%), the T5 allele (36.2%) and R117H mutation (19.1%) were observed.     

Bacteremia caused by an undescribed species of Janibacter

A yellow-pigmented rod- to coccoid-shaped coryneform microorganism was isolated from the blood of a patient with acute myeloid leukemia. It was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing as a previously undescribed species of Janibacter. The isolate was susceptible to penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and glycopeptides.     

Transforming growth factor-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor in colonic mucosa in active and inactive inflammatory bowel disease

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is overexpressed in colonic carcinomas and promotes mucosal wound healing. It may be implicated in chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We analyzed the expression of TGF-alpha and its receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-r), in the colonic mucosa of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), in active or inactive stages, as compared with controls. Proteins and mRNA were detected in biopsies from the right and left colon and in surgical colonic specimens. Immunoblot analysis revealed TGF-alpha protein as a 29 kDa band. This band was normally expressed in uninvolved colonic mucosa of patients with CD or UC whether in active or inactive stages, but decreased or absent in involved mucosa of active IBD, even when TGF-alpha mRNA and EGF-r protein were detected. In the unaffected mucosa of CD, the intensity of TGF-alpha immunoreactivity was similar to that of controls in the right colon but stronger (P = 0.05) in the left colon. There was no TGF-alpha overexpression in dysplastic regions. In conclusion, in active IBD disease, the decreased TGF-alpha protein amount seems not only related to epithelial cell loss but reflects a down-regulation at least at the protein level. We speculate that TGF-alpha does not play a role within the active stage but may be implicated later in the repair process.     

Depletion of helper/inducer T cells after thymectomy in myasthenic patients

Using monoclonal anti-T-cell antibodies, we have studied peripheral blood T-cell subsets in 53 patients with myasthenia gravis before and after thymectomy (Tx). Before Tx, the mean OKT4/OKT8 ratio was higher in patients than in controls. Furthermore patients showed a high number of cells reacting simultaneously with the OKT4 and OKT8 antibodies. Shortly after surgery, the helper/suppressor ratio was increased in most of the patients, and the doubly reactive subset decreased to normal levels. However, 6 to 12 months after Tx the OKT4/OKT8 ratio was significantly decreased, particularly in patients showing clinical improvement. The percentage of total T cells was slightly but significantly reduced. A group of 14 patients studied more than 2 years after Tx presented very low OKT4/OKT8 ratios. Thymectomy in MG appears to lead to a gradual decrease of the T-helper subset which could contribute to its favorable effect on the course of the disease.     

Two successive hepatitis C virus infections in an intravenous drug user

We report the case of an occasional intravenous drug user who developed two successive hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The first infection led to seroconversion (anti-HCV antibodies detected) and the detection of HCV RNA in serum. After a spontaneous recovery (normalization of alanine aminotransferase levels and HCV RNA clearance), a second HCV infection was observed, with the recurrence of HCV viremia. Antibody directed against HCV serotype 1 was detected throughout the follow-up monitoring, but two different HCV strains were identified during the two infectious episodes: genotype 1a for the first and genotype 3a for the second. This observation shows that primary HCV infection does not confer protective immunity against subsequent infection with viruses of other genotypes. This may hamper the development of a vaccine. Conflicting results were obtained in genotyping and serotyping assays, suggesting that the serotyping method cannot be used to identify the HCV type in patients, such as intravenous drug users, who are exposed to successive HCV infections.     

Acrofacial dysostoses

A female baby was born with phocomelia, bilateral cleft lip and palate, marked micrognathia, malar hypoplasia, absence of lower eyelids, and absence of external ears. Radiological examination showed hypoplastic pectoral and pelvic girdles, short humeri and femora, with absence of forearms and legs, and oligodactyly of upper limbs. Her mother has triphalangism of the left thumb and a hypoplastic right thumb with stiff metacarpophalangeal joint. She also has downward-slanting palpebral fissures, malar hypoplasia, and deepset eyes. This observation offers an opportunity to revisit the acrofacial dysostoses syndromes, including Nager-Reynier syndrome, Genée-Wiedeman syndrome, and lethal forms.