Acute intoxications in two university hospitals in Burkina Faso

Introduction

Acute intoxications become more and more a serious problem in developing countries. However, epidemiologic data are very scarce in these countries.

Objective

To describe the characteristics of acute intoxications in two University Hospitals of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

Methods

All cases admitted to the emergency services of the two sole University Hospitals of Ouagadougou from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, were included. We analysed the medical records for demographical and etiological characteristics of the acute poisoned-patients.

Results

Acute poisoned-patients (436) represented 1.9% of the patients admitted to these services. The majority of acute poisoned-patients were pre-school children followed by young adults. Accidental intoxications (70.8%) were more common than intentional (28.9) and suicidal attempts (0.3%). Among poisoned-patients, female patients represented a great majority. Pharmaceuticals were the most common cause of acute intoxication, followed by chemicals, animals'' toxins, food, alcohol and addictive drugs.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that pharmaceuticals were the most common cause of acute intoxications. The great majority of poisoned-patients were young. Female patients were the major poisoned-patients. Most admissions in the emergency services due to acute intoxications resulted from accidental poisoning.     

Low-dose HCG may improve pregnancy rates and lower OHSS in antagonist cycles: a meta-analysis

Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) may substitute FSH to complete follicular growth in IVF cycles. This may be useful in the prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Relevant studies were identified on Medline. To evaluate outcomes, a meta-analysis of low-dose HCG-supplemented IVF cycles versus non-supplemented ones was performed with data from 435 patients undergoing IVF who were administered low-dose HCG in various agonist and antagonist protocols and from 597 conservatively treated patients who served, as control subjects. Using these published data, a decision analysis evaluated four different management strategies. Effectiveness and economic outcomes were assessed by FSH consumption, clinical pregnancy and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Clinical pregnancy and ovarian hyperstimulation were the main outcome measures. Nine trials published in 2002–2007 were included. From the prospective studies, in the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist group, a trend for significance in clinical pregnancy rate was evident (odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–2.42). Ovarian hyperstimulation was less significant in the antagonist low-dose HCG protocol compared with the non-supplemented agonist protocol (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.09–0.96). Less FSH was consumed in the low-dose HCG group but this difference was not statistically significant. Low-dose HCG supplementation may improve pregnancy rates in antagonist protocols. Overall, low-dose HCG-supplemented protocols are a cost-effective strategy.     

Possible Evidence for a Variant of Myasthenia Gravis Based on HLA and Acetylcholine Receptor Antibody in Chinese Patients

SUMMARY A comprehensive study of 194 Chinese patients with myastheniagravis in Hong Kong has shown district differences from thepatterns of disease seen in Caucasians. Restricted ocular myastheniais the predominant disease type in patients presenting in thefirst two decades of life and is associated with absence orlow titres of acetylcholine receptor antibody. Predispositionto this type of disease is strongly associated with HLA-DRw9.Generalized myasthenia gravis occurs predominantly in patientspresenting after the age of 20 years and is accompanied by hightitres of acetylcholine receptor antibody but is less stronglyassociated with HLA-DRw9. It is suggested that myasthenia gravisoccurring within the first two decades of life and characterizedby affected ocular muscles and absence or low titre of acetycholinereceptor antibody is a genetically determined variant of thedisease which occurs commonly in Orientals.     

海带颗粒去除水中汞、镉、铅的实验研究

[目的 ]探讨汞 (Hg)、镉 (Cd)和铅 (Pb)离子在海带颗粒上的静态吸附平衡和填充柱动态吸附特性。 [方法 ]市售干海带经磨碎、筛分 ,选取 3 0～ 60目的颗粒 ,经 1%HNO3 和 1mol/LCaCl2 浸洗。用静态平衡法测定二价Hg、Cd和Pb离子在海带上的富集平衡。将动态数学模型模拟的海带颗粒填充柱流出液浓度响应曲线与实验测定值进行比较 ,得出填充柱颗粒间弥散系数和颗粒内扩散系数。 [结果 ]这 3种重金属在海带颗粒上单组分的富集量与水相浓度的依赖关系可用Langmuir方程描述 ,回归得到的 3种重金属单组分饱和富集量为 0 .2 47、0 .173和 1.2 2 0mmol/g ,颗粒内扩散系数为 1.61× 10 -7、1.0 4× 10 -7和 9.89× 10 -7cm2 /s。 [结论 ]经较高浓度钙离子预处理的海带颗粒对这 3种重金属有很强的富集能力 ,回归得到的Hg、Cd、Pb离子在海带颗粒内的扩散系数远较理论估算的主体电解质溶液中的扩散系数为小 ,反映了颗粒内扩散通道的复杂结构对离子扩散的阻碍作用     

Metallothionein expression in human neoplasia

The metallothionein family is a class of low-molecular-weight, cysteine-rich proteins with high affinity for metal ions. Four major isoforms (metallothionein-1, -2, -3, and -4) have been identified in mammals, involved in many pathophysiological processes, including metal ion homeostasis and detoxification, protection against oxidative damage, cell proliferation and apoptosis, drug and radiotherapy resistance and several aspects of the carcinogenic process. In the present review we examine the expression of metallothionein in different human tumours and its correlation with histopathological variables, tumour cell proliferation or apoptosis, resistance to radiation or chemotherapy, patient survival and prognosis. A variable profile of metallothionein and its isoforms' expression has been observed in different cancer types. Although metallothionein expression has been implicated in carcinogenic evolution, its use as a marker of tumour differentiation, cell proliferation and prognosis predictor remains unclear. Detailed studies focused on the expression of metallothionein isoforms and isotypes in different tumour types could elucidate the role of this group of proteins in the carcinogenic process, delineating its possible clinical significance for the management of patients.     

Alterations in the content and composition of glycosaminoglycans in human laryngeal carcinoma

Glycosaminoglycans in normal and cancerous human laryngeal cartilage were isolated and characterized by means of enzyme susceptibility and high performance liquid chromatography. The known mammalian glycosaminoglycans were identified in all samples but their content and composition varied between normal and malignant samples. Chondroitin/dermatan sulphate was the major glycosaminoglycan in all cases, but its relative proportion was decreased in malignant samples. Its sulphation pattern showed that in normal samples it was sulphated mainly at the C6 position of galactosamine, whereas in malignant samples it was sulphated mainly at C4. Dermatan sulphate, expressed as a result of the different digestion of samples with chondroitinases, was present in very small amounts in normal samples (2.7% of total sulphated glycosaminoglycans) but increased in proportion up to 27.7% in malignant samples. The content of oversulphated chondroitin/dermatan was increased twofold in malignant samples. The content of heparan sulphate was increased almost fivefold in malignant samples as compared to normal ones. The content of hyaluronan was increased in malignant samples 3.5-fold, amounting to up to 11.4% of total glycosaminoglycans. These dramatic changes in the content and composition of glycosaminoglycans seemed to be characteristic of the tumour and independent of its status.