Search

Introduction: Darier and Ferrant dermatofibrosarcoma is a rare malignant cutaneous mesenchymal tumour, representing less than 0.1% of malignant tumours and less than 5% of soft tissue sarcomas in adults. The aim of this study was to describe the evolutionary profile of cases of dermato fibrosarcoma of Darier et Ferrant reported in the dermato-venereology department of the National Centre for Disease Control (CNAM). Patients and methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the dermatology department of the National Centre for Disease Control Support between 1991 and 2016, a period of 25 years. Was included, all patient with a histologically confirmed dermatofibrosarcoma notified in the registers of the CNAM histology laboratory or in the patient's medical file during the study period. Results: In total we collected 23 cases out of 5520 biopsied patients, i.e. a proportion of 0.41%. Males represented 60.8% with an average age of 40 years. The lesions were simple nodular in 12 of the 23 patients (52.2%), multi-nodular in 7 of the 23 patients (30.4%), nodulo-ulcerous and in patches in 4 of the 23 patients (17.4%). The lesions were located on the trunk in 60.8% of cases (image 1), on the head in 21.7% of cases and on the limbs in 17.5% of cases. The mean size of the lesions was 10×8cm with extremes of 3cm×3cm to 25cm×20cm. Management was exclusively surgical. Conclusion: DFSP is a rare tumour with a slow evolution, characterised by its rare metastasis but above all by its strong tendency to recurrence. The diagnosis is often evoked clinically and confirmed by histological study. The treatment of DFSP is surgical based on a large and deep lesion removal. Clinical monitoring allows early detection of recurrence, which is frequent in this disease.

Introduction: Fetal microchimerism is a frequent phenomenon occurring in all human pregnancies, which allows the transfer of fetal cells of various phenotypes to the mother. Recent data suggest an association between pregnancy, microchimerism, and cancer. A pregnancy history has been identified as a consistent protective factor against breast cancer. Thus, it is conceivable that undefined characteristics of previous pregnancies could explain why some women with positive parity have a reduced risk of breast cancer while others do not. In this context, we undertook this study to evaluate the relationship between fetal microchimerism and female breast cancers through a literature review. Materials and Methods: To meet this objective, namely, to evaluate the relationship between fetal microchimerism and female breast cancer, a literature review was performed using mainly a bibliographic data search engine (Pubmed). Results and Discussion: This study found microchimerism more in healthy women than women with breast cancer, with a statistically significant difference. These results suggest that microchimeric cells may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. This protective effect may be explained by the differentiation and tissue regeneration properties associated with the immunoregulatory properties of fetal microchimeric stem cells. However, the correlation is not linear. Conclusion: In this study, our results indicate that microchemical cells may help reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. Good knowledge of the mechanisms of these microchemical stem cells could potentially serve as an innovative therapeutic approach for breast cancer patients.

Biobanking has become an indispensable tool for translational research and health innovations. While the field of biobanking has progressed and evolved globally, biobanking in developing Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries such as the Philippines remains underrepresented because of several challenges often encountered in these low- and middle-income countries. Recently, the Philippine government has undertaken enormous efforts to advancing research and development in the country, and one of the current research pursuits is the establishment of biobanks, with the hope of attaining more discoveries and innovations in the future. Given that cancer remains a leading cause of death in the Philippines, the Philippine government supported the establishment of a cancer biobank at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). In this study, we present a specific use case of biobanking activity at the PGH Biobank, to build a cohort of biospecimens from Filipino patients with breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. This initiative is part of a biomonitoring study (1) to assess environmental exposures and possible risk factors in the Philippine population and (2) to develop a system of culturing human cells from Filipino patients for subsequent in vitro studies. We discuss issues faced and the solutions developed during the implementation of the biobank. Strong research collaboration, a funding source, basic infrastructure, and appropriate technology helped initiate this pilot biobank in the Philippines. Overall, the experiences of establishing the PGH Biobank may help other institutions in low-resource countries to set up cancer biobanks.

Sardinella tawilis, the only known freshwater sardinella in the world, is endemic to Taal Lake, Philippines. Previous studies found the Taiwan sardinella, S. hualiensis, to be morphologically very similar to S. tawilis and identified it as the marine sister species of S. tawilis. In this study, DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene was carried out to analyze species demarcation in the Sardinella genus, focusing primarily on the relationship between S. tawilis and S. hualiensis. The neighbour-joining (NJ) tree that was constructed using Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model showed a single clade for the two species with 100% bootstrap support. K2P interspecific genetic divergence ranged from 0% to 0.522%, which is clearly below the suggested 3–3.5% cutoff for species discrimination. Recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1), mitochondrial control region (CR), cytochrome b, 16S rRNA, and S7 markers were used to further validate the results. Sardinella tawilis and S. hualiensis clustered together with a bootstrap support of 99–100% in each of the NJ trees. Low interspecific genetic distances between S. tawilis and S. hualiensis for all the markers except CR could be attributed to incipient allopatric speciation.

Background Long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) are one of the core components of global malaria prevention and control. The lifespan of LLIN varies widely depending on the population or environment, and randomized studies are required to compare LLIN in households under different field conditions. This study investigated survival of different LLIN brands in Senegal. Methods 10,608 LLINs were distributed in five regions, each stratified by rural and urban setting. As part of the longitudinal follow-up, 2,222 nets were randomly sampled and monitored from 6 to 36 months. Using random effects for households, Bayesian models were used to estimate independent survival by net type (Interceptor®, Life Net®, MAGNet™, Netprotect®, Olyset® Net, PermaNet® 2.0 R, PermaNet® 2.0 C, Yorkool® LN) and by area (rural/urban). In addition to survival, median survival time and attrition of each LLIN brand was determined. Attrition was defined as nets that were missing because they were reported given away, destroyed and thrown away, or repurposed. Results Three net types had a proportion of survival above 80% after 24 months: Interceptor ® 87.8% (95% CI 80-93.4); conical PermaNet ® 2.0 86.9% (95% CI 79.3-92.4) and Life Net ® 85.6% (95% CI 75-93). At 36 months, conical PermaNet ® 2.0 maintained a good survival rate, 79.5% (95% CI 65.9-88.8). The attrition due to redistributed nets showed that the two conical net types (PermaNet ® 2.0 and Interceptor ® ) were more often retained by households and their median retention time was well above three years (median survival time =3.5 years for PermaNet ® 2.0 and median survival time =4 years for Interceptor ® ). Despite this good retention, Interceptor ® had weak physical integrity and its median survival due to wear and tear was below three years (median survival time = 2.4 years). The odds ratio of survival was 2.5 times higher in rural settings than in urban settings (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.7-3.7). Conclusions Differences in survival among LLIN may be driven by brand, shape or environmental setting. In this study in Senegal, conical PermaNet ® 2.0 were retained in households while rectangular PermaNet ® 2.0 had lower retention, suggesting that net shape may play a role in retention and should be further investigated. Distribution of preferred LLIN shape, accompanied by good communication on care and repair, could lead to increased effective lifespan, and allow for longer intervals between universal coverage campaigns.

Several studies have reported exposure of humans to various endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) worldwide. However, there is a lack of data regarding EDC exposures in humans living in Southeast Asian countries, such as the Philippines. Hence, this study measured levels of 41 EDCs in women residing in the Greater Manila Area, home to the second largest city in Southeast Asia. Urine samples from women with versus without breast cancer were analyzed for 11 phthalate metabolites, 8 environmental phenols, and 10 bisphenols, while serum samples were analyzed for 12 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Out of the four groups of EDCs analyzed, PFAS were significantly associated with breast cancer (adjusted OR = 13.63, 95% CI: 3.24–94.88 p-trend = 0.001 for PFDoA; adjusted OR = 9.26, 95% CI 2.54–45.10, p-trend = 0.002 for PFDA; and adjusted OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 0.95–7.66, p-trend = 0.004 for PFHxA). Long-chain PFAS levels were positively correlated with age and were significantly higher in women from Region IV-A, a heavily industrialized region, than from the National Capital Region. Overall, this study showed baseline information regarding the level of EDCs in Filipinas, providing a glimpse of EDC exposure in women living in a megalopolis city in Southeast Asia.

Background: The loss of function in TP53 gene is an early event of carcinogenesis and is now considered as a full etiological factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The most common polymorphism in this gene that is associated to OSCC and has been extensively studied as a potential risk factor for the development of malignancies is the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) encoding either proline or arginine at residue 72. Today, despite the multiplicity of publications and approaches used, the contradiction of the results have not remove the ambiguity of the possible impact of this polymorphism in OSCC. So we aimed this meta-analysis to investigate the distribution of TP53 codon 72 genotypes and alleles in patients with OSCC and healthy matched controls, by using an ethnicity subgroups analysis. Method: A literature search was conducted to identify studies concerning TP53 codon 72 polymorphism and OSCC risk. Retrieved publications from 2000 to 2014 were classified by ethnicity, according to the sampling collection continent. Allelic frequencies were estimated by using genotypic data and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium and distributions were checked with Chi-2 test. Statistical tests for contrast models of association were performed with Proline allele as reference stratum. Results: Arg allele distribution was almost similar in both cases and controls for African and Caucasian populations whereas Arg frequency was significantly greater in cases than in controls for Asians (p=0.011). After stratified statistical analyses, we’ve found again a significant association between Arginine allele and OSCC risk in the Asian subgroup (OR=1.31; 95% CI=1.09-1.58; P=0.004). Conclusion: This current study revealed that allelic distribution of TP53 Arg72Pro polymorphism may depend on ethnicity and latitude, and highlighted that Arginine carrier in Asian populations may be considered to be predisposed to OSCC.

La présente étude s’inscrit dans le cadre du projet STRASA (Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia) mis en œuvre par AfricaRice, en partenariat avec l’IRRI et dont l’une des composantes-phares est la recherche de variétés de riz tolérantes à la salinité. Les résultats présentés portent sur 5 essais de sélection variétale participative conduits en une année dans des conditions de salinité différentes au Mali, Sénégal et en Gambie. Le choix par les producteurs de variétés tolérantes à la salinité, soutenu par une analyse statistique des paramètres agronomiques, a permis de sélectionner les variétés présentant les meilleures performances agronomiques. L’analyse de la variance de l’interaction du génotype et de l’environnement a révélé un effet significatif sur le rendement en grains et la hauteur des variétés. Au niveau de chaque site, les performances agronomiques de quelques variétés choisies par les producteurs ont été confirmées par les analyses statistiques : il s’agit des variétés IR 72593-B-3-2-1-2-B ; IR 59418-7B-21-3 et WAS 73-B-B-231-4 au Sénégal ; IR 76346-B-B-10-1-1-1 et IR 65192-4B-11-3 et WAS 73-B-B-231-4 au Mali., Participatory Varietal Evaluation of Rice Varieties in the salt areas of Senegal, Mali and Gambia.This study is part of the STRASA project (Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia) implemented by AfricaRice, in partnership with IRRI. One of its key components is the search of salinity tolerant rice varieties. The results are related to 5 participatory breeding trials conducted during one year in various salt conditions in Mali, Gambia and Senegal. The choice of the salt tolerant varieties by farmers confirmed by statistical analysis of agronomic parameters allowed to select the varieties with the best agronomic performances. The variance analysis of the interaction Genotype x Environment showed a significant effect on the grain yield and on the plant height. In each site, the agronomical performances of the varieties chosen by the farmers were confirmed by statistical analysis. These varieties are: IR 72593-B-3-2-1-2-B; IR 59418-7B-21-3 and WAS 73-B-B-231-4 in Senegal; IR 76346-B-B-10-1-1-1 and IR 65192-4B-11-3 in Gambia; and WAS 73-B-B-231-4 in Mali.

The 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics, in partnership with the Senegalese Cancer Research and Study Group and the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, was held in Dakar, Senegal. The theme was Strengthening Human Genetics Research in Africa. The 210 delegates came from 21 African countries and from France, Switzerland, UK, UAE, Canada and the USA. The goal was to highlight genetic and genomic science across the African continent with the ultimate goal of improving the health of Africans and those across the globe, and to promote the careers of young African scientists in the field. A session on the sustainability of genomic research in Africa brought to light innovative and practical approaches to supporting research in resource-limited settings and the importance of promoting genetics in academic, research funding, governmental and private sectors. This meeting led to the formation of the Senegalese Society for Human Genetics. Le 9ème congrès de la Société Africaine de Génétique Humaine, en partenariat avec le Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur le Cancer (GERC) et le Consortium H3Africa, s’est tenu à Dakar, au Sénégal. Le thème était «Renforcer la recherche en Génétique Humaine en Afrique». Les 210 participants sont venus de 21 pays africains et de six non africains. L’objectif était de valoriser la génétique et la génomique à travers l’Afrique avec comme but ultime d’améliorer la santé des populations, et de promouvoir les carrières des jeunes chercheurs Africains. Une session sur la pérennité de la recherche génomique a révélé des approches innovantes et pratiques supportant la recherche dans des contextes de ressources limitées et l’importance de promouvoir la formation universitaire en génétique, le financement de la recherche par les gouvernements et le privé. Ce congrès conduisit à la création de la Société Sénégalaise de Génétique Humaine.

This is an Open Access article under the CC BY license. BACKGROUND: Since late 2015, an epidemic of yellow fever has caused more than 7334 suspected cases in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including 393 deaths. We sought to understand the spatial spread of this outbreak to optimise the use of the limited available vaccine stock. METHODS: We jointly analysed datasets describing the epidemic of yellow fever, vector suitability, human demography, and mobility in central Africa to understand and predict the spread of yellow fever virus. We used a standard logistic model to infer the district-specific yellow fever virus infection risk during the course of the epidemic in the region. FINDINGS: The early spread of yellow fever virus was characterised by fast exponential growth (doubling time of 5-7 days) and fast spatial expansion (49 districts reported cases after only 3 months) from Luanda, the capital of Angola. Early invasion was positively correlated with high population density (Pearson's r 0·52, 95% CI 0·34-0·66). The further away locations were from Luanda, the later the date of invasion (Pearson's r 0·60, 95% CI 0·52-0·66). In a Cox model, we noted that districts with higher population densities also had higher risks of sustained transmission (the hazard ratio for cases ceasing was 0·74, 95% CI 0·13-0·92 per log-unit increase in the population size of a district). A model that captured human mobility and vector suitability successfully discriminated districts with high risk of invasion from others with a lower risk (area under the curve 0·94, 95% CI 0·92-0·97). If at the start of the epidemic, sufficient vaccines had been available to target 50 out of 313 districts in the area, our model would have correctly identified 27 (84%) of the 32 districts that were eventually affected. INTERPRETATION: Our findings show the contributions of ecological and demographic factors to the ongoing spread of the yellow fever outbreak and provide estimates of the areas that could be prioritised for vaccination, although other constraints such as vaccine supply and delivery need to be accounted for before such insights can be translated into policy. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introduction: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a potentially fatal arbovirus with a high risk for nosocomial transmission. The goals of this study were to describe two cases of imported CCHF in Senegal and to evaluate health care worker exposure during the hospitalization of these two cases. Methodology: Exposed health care workers were identified, administered a questionnaire, and kept were under clinical surveillance for 9 days. The level of risk associated with exposure was determined using the French National Institute of Health Surveillance (InVS) classification system. Results: Two cases of CCHF transferred to Senegal from Mauritania, were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Service at Fann Teaching Hospital. The first case was admitted with diffuse hemorrhage and coma; the second case was admitted with febrile gastroenteritis. Both cases were fatal. The length of hospitalization was 06 hours and 07 days respectively. A total of 60 health care workers were exposed, including 11 doctors, 13 medical students, 14 nurses, 11 support staff, 09 nursing students, and 2 administrative staff. The majority of health care workers had a high-risk exposure (n=43, 65.2%). Moderate-risk exposure occurred among 21.2% (n=14) and low-risk exposure occurred among 13.6% (n=9). The high- risk was particularly prevalent among physicians (91,7%), support staff (91.7%) and nurses (66.7%). None of the contacts had clinical signs of CCHF during the monitoring period and none received prophylaxis with ribavirin. There were no known cases of nosocomial transmission. Conclusion: Despite high-risk exposure among the majority of health workers, no secondary cases were identified. Important strategies were identified to decrease the risk of nosocomial transmission for future cases of viral hemorrhagic fever in our hospital.

Objectif : La réaction du riz à la salinité est un phénomène complexe qui dépend du niveau de salinité, de la variété et du stade de développement. Cette étude veut mettre en exergue les différents comportements de variétés de riz dans différents niveaux de salinité afin de sélectionner les variétés prometteuses.Méthodologie et résultats : Quatre essais de criblage de 23 variétés et 5 témoins de riz ont été installés dans la station de recherches de AfricaRice au Sénégal avec des niveaux de salinité contrôlés de 0 ; 3 ; 6 et 9 dS/m. Un dispositif en alpha lattice avec 3 répétitions de 7 blocs a été appliqué. Les incidents de la salinité sur ces variétés se sont traduits par une perte de panicules, un retard de la croissance, une diminution du cycle à la maturité et des rendements en biomasse et grains. La classification K-means illustre les performances de variétés prometteuses comme D14, IR 72593-B-3-2-3-8 et WAS 201-B-2.Conclusion et applications des résultats. Les comportements des variétés de riz dans différents niveaux de salinité manifestés sur les paramètres agronomiques traduisent différents mécanismes physiologiques de tolérance à la salinité. Les variétés D14, IKP, IR-1829-3R 89-1-1, IR 72593-B-3-2-3-8 et WAS 201-B-2 ont pu limiter les dégâts du sel à 6,33 dS/m ; elles sont des potentiels parents élites dans des schémas de croisement avec les meilleures variétés locales. Quant aux variétés D14, IR 59418-7B-21-3, IR 61920-3B-22-2-1 et WAS 73-B-B-231-4, elles ont confirmé leur performance avec des rendements supérieurs à 4 T/ha dans des conditions de salinité de 4,86 dS/m. Elles ont été choisies par les producteurs en première année de sélection variétale participative, et peuvent être proposées à l’homologation pour une production dans les zones de salinité moyenne dans la vallée du fleuve Sénégal. Pour cela, des tests de caractérisation de DHS/VATE (Distinction Homogénéité Stabilité / Valeur Agronomique Technologique et Environnementale) devront être conduits.Mots clés : salinité, effets sel, riz, variétés, paramètres agronomiques

In the wake of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in several African countries, the World Health Organization prioritized the evaluation of treatment with convalescent plasma derived from patients who have recovered from the disease. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma for the treatment of EVD in Guinea. : In this nonrandomized, comparative study, 99 patients of various ages (including pregnant women) with confirmed EVD received two consecutive transfusions of 200 to 250 ml of ABO-compatible convalescent plasma, with each unit of plasma obtained from a separate convalescent donor. The transfusions were initiated on the day of diagnosis or up to 2 days later. The level of neutralizing antibodies against Ebola virus in the plasma was unknown at the time of administration. The control group was 418 patients who had been treated at the same center during the previous 5 months. The primary outcome was the risk of death during the period from 3 to 16 days after diagnosis with adjustments for age and the baseline cycle-threshold value on polymerase-chain-reaction assay; patients who had died before day 3 were excluded. The clinically important difference was defined as an absolute reduction in mortality of 20 percentage points in the convalescent-plasma group as compared with the control group. : A total of 84 patients who were treated with plasma were included in the primary analysis. At baseline, the convalescent-plasma group had slightly higher cycle-threshold values and a shorter duration of symptoms than did the control group, along with a higher frequency of eye redness and difficulty in swallowing. From day 3 to day 16 after diagnosis, the risk of death was 31% in the convalescent-plasma group and 38% in the control group (risk difference, -7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -18 to 4). The difference was reduced after adjustment for age and cycle-threshold value (adjusted risk difference, -3 percentage points; 95% CI, -13 to 8). No serious adverse reactions associated with the use of convalescent plasma were observed. : The transfusion of up to 500 ml of convalescent plasma with unknown levels of neutralizing antibodies in 84 patients with confirmed EVD was not associated with a significant improvement in survival. (Funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02342171.).

WWARN Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT) Africa Baseline Study Group; International audience; Background: Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum has emerged in the Greater Mekong sub-region and poses a major global public health threat. Slow parasite clearance is a key clinical manifestation of reduced susceptibility to artemisinin. This study was designed to establish the baseline values for clearance in patients from Sub-Saharan African countries with uncomplicated malaria treated with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). Methods: A literature review in PubMed was conducted in March 2013 to identify all prospective clinical trials (uncontrolled trials, controlled trials and randomized controlled trials), including ACTs conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa, between 1960 and 2012. Individual patient data from these studies were shared with the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) and pooled using an a priori statistical analytical plan. Factors affecting early parasitological response were investigated using logistic regression with study sites fitted as a random effect. The risk of bias in included studies was evaluated based on study design, methodology and missing data. Results: In total, 29,493 patients from 84 clinical trials were included in the analysis, treated with artemether-lumefantrine (n = 13,664), artesunate-amodiaquine (n = 11,337) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (n = 4,492). The overall parasite clearance rate was rapid. The parasite positivity rate (PPR) decreased from 59.7 % (95 % CI: 54.5–64.9) on day 1 to 6.7 % (95 % CI: 4.8–8.7) on day 2 and 0.9 % (95 % CI: 0.5–1.2) on day 3. The 95th percentile of observed day 3 PPR was 5.3 %. Independent risk factors predictive of day 3 positivity were: high baseline parasitaemia (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.16 (95 % CI: 1.08–1.25); per 2-fold increase in parasite density, P 37.5 °C) (AOR = 1.50 (95 % CI: 1.06–2.13), P = 0.022); severe anaemia (AOR = 2.04 (95 % CI: 1.21–3.44), P = 0.008); areas of low/moderate transmission setting (AOR = 2.71 (95 % CI: 1.38–5.36), P = 0.004); and treatment with the loose formulation of artesunate-amodiaquine (AOR = 2.27 (95 % CI: 1.14–4.51), P = 0.020, compared to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine). Conclusions: The three ACTs assessed in this analysis continue to achieve rapid early parasitological clearance across the sites assessed in Sub-Saharan Africa. A threshold of 5 % day 3 parasite positivity from a minimum sample size of 50 patients provides a more sensitive benchmark in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to the current recommended threshold of 10 % to trigger further investigation of artemisinin susceptibility.

Die elektrischen Antriebe in den EU Projekten DiPoP, MEGAHIT und DEMOCRITOS werden beschrieben. Ebenfalls die MEGAHIT Roadmap und das DEMOCRITOS Projekt.

Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is a major vector of yellow fever, dengue, and chikungunya viruses throughout tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Although the southernmost part of Mauritania along the Senegal river has long been recognized at risk of yellow fever transmission, Aedes spp. mosquitoes had never been reported northwards in Mauritania. Here, we report the first observation of Aedes aegypti aegypti (L.) and Aedes (Ochlerotatus) caspius (Pallas, 1771) in the capital city, Nouakchott. We describe the development sites in which larvae of the two species were found, drawing attention to the risk for emergence of arbovirus transmission in the city.