Effect of Robusta (Coffea canephora P.) coffee cherries quantity put out for sun drying on contamination by fungi and Ochratoxin A (OTA) under tropical humid zone (Côte d‘Ivoire)

The effect of coffee cherries quantity put out for sun drying on the kinetics of the drying, chemical components variation, fungal growth and ochratoxin A production was evaluated. The results showed that the more coffee cherries quantity on the drying area was important, the slower they dried. Indeed, the drying durations were 12, 17, 21, 26, 31 and 32 days respectively for the lots of 10 kg, 20 kg, 30 kg, 40 kg, 50 kg and 60 kg of cherries by square meter of drying area. The slowness of the drying led to the increasing of fungal development and ochratoxin A production in the cherries. Indeed, samples more contaminated were those from the lots of 50 kg and 60 kg of cherries by square meter of drying area with between 10% and 100% of infected beans and with levels of ochratoxin A ranging from 0.92 to 118.47 and 1.4 to 131.33 μg kg⁻¹ respectively. The slowness of the drying led also to the acidification of the cherries (pH = 5.55–4.54) and the degradation of their chlorogenic acids content (13.03–11.69) while for their caffeine content (2.52–2.54), any significant difference was observed whatever the drying duration.     

Left colonic cancer obstruction in Ivory Coast

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study comes forward to study our management of left colonic cancer obstruction by evaluating the mortality and the morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1984 to 2001, 21 patients with left colonic cancer obstruction were treated in emergency. They were 12 males and 9 females with a mean age of 40.6 years. All the patients had complete clinical and radiological colonic obstruction. The pre-operative neoplastic origin of the obstruction was unknown in 20 cases. Six patients had hepatic metastases and 6 ovarian metastases. Six patients were classified as Asa II and 6 other Asa III. Nineteen patients (90.5%) underwent Hartmann's operation. The 2 remaining patients had immediate anastomosis after colectomy, with diverting ileostomy. These procedures were associated with hepatectomy in 5 cases and annexectomy in 6 cases. Intestinal continuity restoration was possible in 13 cases between 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: Operative mortality was 9.5% (2 cases). Deaths were due to evisceration caused by parietal suppuration in one case and heart failure in the other case. There was no anastomotic fistula. Mean hospital stay was 14 days (12-21). Survival was 84% at one year and 0% at 5 years. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Hartmann's operation is safe and may be usually performed in our conditions. However, near by amount colostomy and intra-operative colonic irrigation might be an alternating procedure in some selected patients.     

Acute poisoning in pediatrics at the CHU of Yopougon, C?te d'Ivoire]

From 1st January 1995 to 31st December 1996, 92 children from 1 month to 15 years old admitted for poisoning were studied. The purpose of this work was to describe the characteristics of child intoxication in our area; 64% were under 5 five years. Petroleum was the main poison (25/92). Certain traditional measures carried out by parents were identified as dangerous because leading to a high mortality rate. Two deaths were due to petroleum poisoning. In 96% of the cases, it was due to an inappropriate conservation of the hydrocarbure. The intoxications by amino-4-quinolines were also mainly due to bad self-medication. For these reasons, parents must be educated.     

Adénocarcinome anal sur fistule anale : à propos de 3 cas observés dans un CHU à Abidjan en C?te d’Ivoire

Purpose

From three observations about anal carcinoma that occurred on anal fistula, we performed a study which purpose was to discuss about their etiopathogenic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

Patients and methods

Authors report 3 cases of anal carcinoma that occurred on chronic and recurrent anal fistula.

Results

There were a 40 years?? old woman and two men of 47 and 51 years. They underwent fistulotomy for chronic anal fistula respectively 3, 5 and 19 years ago without any histologic examination of swab. Clinical examination revealed that anal fistula was tumor like in one case and ordinary in two cases. Diagnosis was suspected on colloidal nature in two cases and on muco hematic aspect of the contents of the fistula in one case. Diagnosis was confirmed by histologic examination of swab and or biopsy specimens that revealed colloid adenocarcinoma that leads us to evocate that the lesion originates from anal gland. None patient underwent radiation therapy; one of them refused any treatment, the other two underwent abdominoperineal resection.

Conclusion

From now on any anal chronic suppuration should systematically be examined histologically.     

Rapid and specific diagnosis of HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections: an evaluation of testing strategies

To identify cost-effective testing strategies for HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections, we evaluated different combinations of tests on serum specimens from 1134 consecutive patients attending tuberculosis treatment centers in Abidjan, C?te d'lvoire. Virus-specific whole-virus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (WVE), Western blot (WB) and synthetic peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (SPE) were used in sequential fashion to determine the true prevalence of infection; 27% were reactive to HIV-1, 5% to HIV-2, and 10% to both viruses. Of 239 specimens positive on WB for both HIV-1 and HIV-2, SPE diagnosed 38% as HIV-1-reactive and 16% as HIV-2-reactive, while 46% remained reactive to both viruses. Using WVE or one of two rapid (5-10 min) mixed (HIV-1 and HIV-2) antigen tests (RMATs) as a screening test, followed by SPE as a supplemental test, gave results with sensitivity of 97.3-99.2%, specificity of 99.5-99.7%, and positive predictive value for diagnosing HIV infection of 99.4-99.6%, with important savings in time and reagent costs. SPE allows more specific distinction between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections than WB, and could replace it as a supplemental test in many settings. WB may be required for specimens reactive on screening tests but negative on SPE, until sensitivity of the SPE is further evaluated. A mixed antigen screening test followed by SPE seems to be an efficient testing strategy for diagnosing HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections.     

Associations between lifestyle and mental health in a group of Japanese overseas workers and their spouses resident in Düsseldorf, Germany

This study investigated associations between lifestyle factors and selected aspects of mental health in a group of Japanese overseas workers and their accompanying spouses who were residing in and around Düsseldorf, Germany, in February 1994. Considering four aspects of mental health (depression, mental instability, nervousness and neurosis) and six lifestyle factors (alcohol consumption, sleeping hours, cigarette smoking, physical exercise, eating breakfast and eating snacks), a cross-sectional study involving 822 volunteers (486 workers and 336 spouses) was performed using the Todai Health Index (THI) for surveying self-perceived health and a lifestyle related self-administered questionnaire. Alcohol consumption had no associations with any of the four aspects of mental health, and only very weak inverse associations were found between the other five lifestyle factors and the four aspects of mental health in the workers group. In the spouses group, physical exercise was the only lifestyle factor significantly associated with mental health.     

Comparative study of cytotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by deoxynivalenol, zearalenone or fumonisin B1 in human intestinal cell line Caco-2

Fusarium species infestations of cereals crops occur worldwide. Fusarium toxins such as, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) have been shown to cause diverse toxic effects in animals and also suspected of disease causation in humans. From the literature and mechanistic point of view, DON binds to the ribosomal peptidyl-transferase and inhibits protein synthesis specifically and DNA synthesis consequently. ZEN known to be genotoxic, binds to 17-beta-estradiol receptors, induces lipid peroxidation, cell death and inhibits protein and DNA synthesis. FB1 disrupts sphingolipid metabolism, induces lipid peroxidation altering the cell membrane and causing cell death. We intended to compare DON, ZEN and FB1 (1-150 microM) cytotoxic effect and the pathways leading to cell death and related to oxidative stress and macromolecules syntheses in a human intestinal cell line in order to tentatively classify them according to their respective potential toxicity. The comparison reveals that all three mycotoxins bear, at variable degree, the capability of inducing lipid peroxidation (MDA production) and could be classified above 10 microM in decreasing potency order FB1>DON>ZEN. This effect seems to be related to their common target that is the mitochondria as revealed by MTT test and seemingly not related to sphingoids accumulation concerning FB1. DON and ZEN also adversely affect lysosomes in contrast to FB1. The three mycotoxins inhibit protein synthesis with respective IC50 of 5, 8.8 and 19 microM for DON, FB1 and ZEN confirming that protein synthesis is a specific target of DON. DNA synthesis is inhibited by DON, ZEN and FB1 with respective IC50 of 1.7, 10 and 20 microM. However at higher concentrations DNA synthesis seems to be restored for FB1 and DON suggesting a promoter activity. Altogether the potency of the three mycotoxins in macromolecules inhibition is DON>ZEN>FB1 in Caco-2 cells. It appears then that FB1 acts rather through lipid peroxidation while DON affects rather DNA and protein synthesis.