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Plasmodium falciparum parasite rate, parasite density and anti-CS antibodies were assessed in 196 subjects (age10 yrs) belonging to three sympatric West African ethnic groups, namely Mossi, Rimaibé and Fulani, all exposed to very high seasonal malaria transmission in the same rural village near Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. No interethnic differences were noted in the use of antimalaria measures nor in the exposure to malaria vectors. However, interethnic differences were found in each of the three malariological indices. The Fulani appeared markedly less parasitized and more responsive to the CS-antigen than the Mossi and the Rimaibé who had very similar indices, except in the case of parasite density. These findings suggest a higher resistance to malaria of the Fulani ethnic group, possibly involving human genetic factors and/or the influence of extrinsic variables (e.g., socio-cultural) among which diet differences should be considered.

Reevaluation of normal red cell values in the cord blood is necessary since these values were established before the use of automated analysers and the introduction of iron supplementation during pregnancy.Cord blood samples from all healthy babies from Monday to Friday for 2 months have been analysed for red cell count and red cell indices, hemoglobin concentration, hemoglobin electrophoresis, serum and erythrocyte ferritin concentration. The results were compared for the mothers to age, parity and duration of iron supplementation and for the neonates to gestational age and birth weight.One hundred and fifty-nine neonates were studied; 87% of their 154 mothers had been given iron during pregnancy. Mean red cell indices were found to be slightly below those of previous reports in the literature. They were associated with mean ferritin concentrations of 135 micrograms/l and 348 ag/cell for plasma and erythrocytic ferritin, respectively.There were no correlations between red cell indices and ferritin values in such an iron-repleted population.

The epidemiological characteristics of iron deficiency anemia after radioimmunoassay of serum and erythrocyte ferritin were evaluated in 209 Malian women at the time of delivery in a maternity unit in Bamako, Mali. The incidence of iron deficiency anemia was high (36.8%). This incidence did not reflect socio-economic status, nor even any particular obstetric history, but was significantly higher in younger mothers (aged under 26). The severity of anemia was such that 2.4% of women would require a blood transfusion post-partum. It looks therefore desirable, in Mali, to screen routinely and to ensure the prevention of iron deficiency in adolescent girls and to include, in the prevention of anemia of pregnant women, routine iron supplements from the beginning of pregnancy.

In the present study, we report the case of a patient displaying an abnormal chromatin clumping (ACC) syndrome, a rare disease which shares features with both myeloproliferative and myelodysplastic disorders. Although various non specific cytogenetic abnormalities have been observed in ACC, the presence of a Ph1 chromosome has not been reported. In our patient, despite a lack of Ph1, PCR analysis of blood and bone marrow samples revealed a BCR-ABL rearrangement. These results indicate that at least some cases of ACC syndrome could represent a form of Ph1-negative chronic myeloid leukaemia.

The authors reviewed two cases of extra-uterine and intra-uterine pregnancies association. The frequency was higher than people expect. The diagnosis, usually done after surgery because of a very poor symptomatology, should benefit to the precious help of echography to make the prognosis better.

The distribution of haemoglobins C and S was studied in a population of caste and non caste Dogons living in villages located on the plateau and scree regions in the Sangha department of Mali. Results showed a 15.77% prevalence of haemoglobinopathy AC. Haemoglobin C was found in both plateau and scree villages and equally among caste and non caste Dogons, while the homozygous form CC was absent in non Dogons. The prevalence of haemoglobinopathy AS was extremely low with a calculated frequency of 3.05%, allele S being restricted to areas where one is likely to encounter populations other than the Dogon people. Homozygotes SS were not detected and the phenotype SC was only rarely identified. An overall analysis of these data not only suggests that allele S is of recent introduction in the Dogons but also raises the question as to whether their origin is not the voltaic rather than the Manding plateau. Studies of marriage patterns and haplotypes currently in progress should enable resolution of this controversy.

This paper describes the indirect field orientated control method in a high power application. Due to the low switching frequencies, the stator currents have to be controlled through the stator voltages to take into account the stator dynamic behaviour. To detect accurately the rotor flux vector, an estimator is used associated with a parameter compensation scheme. An experimental drive is being studied to validate the proposed schemes.

Thirty-four patients with persistent hiccups (median duration 10 days) were treated by gentle endoscopic massage of the region of the cardia. Hiccups stopped in all cases. Its early recurrence in one patient only required a second massage, which was also effective. This simple technique is recommended for the treatment of persistent hiccups.

We have observed in our study that antithrombin III activity decreases very significatively in eclampsia (p0.0001). A level of 90% was defined as a threshold. All the rates which are under or equal to 90% have 78.3% as a positive predictive value and those over 90% have a 98.7% as a negative predictive value for the overcoming of eclampsia. We have concluded that the 90% antithrombin III activity represents the alarm level for over coming eclamptic crises. The determination of the antithrombin III activity must be systematically done in every hypertensive pregnancy with proteinuria.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that BC in Africa exhibit specific biological characteristics as compared to BC from US/Europe. In order to identify therapeutic targets that would be specific from Africa, we analyzed 28 samples from Mali by high resolution CGH array, and compared gene gains/losses to the ones observed in USA [André F et al, Clin Cancer Res, 2009]Patients and methods: 71 paraffin-embedded samples of invasive BC from patients treated by surgery at Bamako were retrieved, 28 of them (from 2 pts stage 1; 13 pts stage 2; 11 pts stage 3 and 2 pts stage 4) were eligible for CGH array (1) (Agilent, 4*44K) (cancer cells>50%; undamaged DNA >1µg).Results were compared to 106 samples from MD Anderson, profiled in the sample genomic platform using the same array (1)Results: The median age was 49 year old. Twenty-one samples (75%) were ER-negative. No difference was observed regarding the frequency of gene gains in 17q12-21 (ERBB2) nor 8p11-12 (FGFR1). Six regions were more frequently gained in BC from Mali, as compared to those from US (FDR Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 3059.

Gingival mucus in an older patient is the site of the slowing-down of the cellular turnover, of a lessening of metabolic activity and of keratinisation. The resistance to mechanical attacks and bacteria lessens thus its potential for repair. Thus one notes a worsening state of parodontal complaints during old age. By means of a study carried out at the Clinique de Parodontie of the Institut d'Odonto-Stomatologie in Dakar, we propose to attempt to see if the presence of gingival retraction can be linked with parodontal senescence by means of observing 318 patients.

This study was undertaken to investigate relationships between three widespread viruses in West Africa, i.e. HIV1 and viruses B and D, in Ivory Coast. Serologic tests for viruses B and D were carried out in a random sample of black adults of both sexes with asymptomatic HIV1 seropositivity. Coinfection by virus B or viruses B and D was a common finding. Coinfection with both viruses B and D, but not with virus B alone, was found to be significantly more frequent in these HIV1-infected adults than in a control group with acute viral hepatitis. Potential interactions between the HIV1 and viruses B and D as well as other viruses are discussed. These findings suggest that one or several cofactors acting alone or in combination play a major role in the clinical expression of HIV infection. The results of this study, together with the suggestion put forward by several investigators that B virus infection may increase the severity of AIDS, are evidence in support of the value of immunization against the B virus in the management of AIDS.

The authors study the periodontal modifications of 150 women during genital activity period, and of low socio economic level, aged from 17 to 40 years, using oral contraceptives. They value the effects of oral contraceptives on the gingivia and the role of oral hygiene. They use, for this study, the oral hygiene index simplified by Greene and Vermillon and the gingival index of Loe and Silness.

Resume : La conjoncture actuelle fait qu’il est difficile d’attirer de jeunes etudiants vers le genie electrique et plus particulierement vers l’electrotechnique, bien que les besoins ne fassent que s’accroitre au niveau industriel (metiers du genie electrique). Dans ce contexte difficile, un investissement important est necessaire pour rendre attractif l’electrotechnique. Cela passe par un gros effort d’innovation pedagogique. Dans ce contexte, les energies renouvelables sont en pleine croissance, ce qui a l’avantage d’attirer les etudiants et donc de nous permettre de faire passer un contenu scientifique. Dans cette logique, cet article presente un logiciel de prototypage d’eoliennes sous Matlab/Simulink realise dans le cadre des projets pedagogiques de l’IUP GEII Amiens. Ce logiciel a ete mis au point par un groupe de trois etudiants de l’option Electronique de Puissance et Electrotechnique de la Maitrise GEII. Ce logiciel dispose d’une interface graphique qui permet a n’importe quel utilisateur des simulations simples et conviviales. Il a ensuite ete exploite par un autre groupe de trois etudiants de la Licence GEII pour realiser une eolienne de demonstration.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage is a feature of several immune disorders including antibasement membrane antibody disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and several of the systemic vasculitides. Only rare cases of Henoch-Schonlein purpura have been reported.

The rare occurrence of rubella embryopathy in Mali stimulated us to investigate the rubella immunity of the population. Sera from females from Hamburg (n = 97) between 16 and 42 years old were in 84,5% seropositive (hemolysin-in-gel test) whilst a sample of Malien females (n = 99) were positive in 92,9%. Our investigations showed that the Malien children were significantly (p = less than 0.001) earlier infected by rubella than in Hamburg (Mali: children under 8 years [n = 196] in 46.9%; Hamburg [n = 151] in 20.5%). In Mali 7-8 years old children were already in 87.5% seropositive (Hamburg: only in 46.7%). The early immunity in childhood is due to the bigger African family in comparison with the smaller European family. The height of rubella serum titers was in grown-ups identical, but the relationship was vice versa in both studied newborn populations. Newborns from Mali showed lower rubella antibody titers than their mothers (newborns from Hamburg had a tendency to higher titers). Similar relationships were found already in the amount of neutralizing polioantibodies in newborns from both countries. A rubella immunisation in Mali seems not to be indicated.

Among 48 adults without a history of tetanus immunization, we found with the aid of indirect hemagglutination test 20 individuals with protective tetanus antibody titers, 23 with low levels of antitoxin (under 0,1 I.U./ml) and 5 devoid of tetanus antitoxin. In two blood samples of 99 unvaccinated children under 3 years of age (taken at 7 months intervall) 12,1% showed tetanus antitoxin in the first serum sample and 16,2% in the second sample. Protective antibody titers could be found only in 4 children in each of the first and second serum sample. The data suggest a silent oral immunization by tetanus bacilli thus boosting under unhygienic conditions the tetanus immunity with advancing age.

The etiological characteristics of one case of acute, necrotic haemorrhagic pancreatitis linked with pregnancy are stressed, as are the difficulties of diagnosis accentuated by poor laboratory conditions, even for emergency cases. Hence, this combination is, unfortunately, found in the hospitals, usually in the course of systematic, necropsy verification.

Congenital diffuse gingival hyperplasia is a rare entity. A case is presented for the first time in Senegal, the etiology of the affection being undetermined. The various pathogenic hypotheses for this lesion include: diffuse gingival fibroma, congenital, hereditary or idiopathic gingival fibromatosis, familial gingival elephantiasis and idiopathic or hereditary gingival hyperplasia.

1800 cases of poliomyelitis has been observed in Mali during 8 years from 1968 to 1975. Children, and specially infants from 6 months to 2 years are specially concerned with a sex-ratio giving a higher frequency in boys though this difference goes decreasing with age. The dry season and the hotter one are the two periods of great morbidity. The three types (I, II, III) have the same importance. Oral immunization at the age of 3 or 4 months must be extended.

Many drugs have been used for prevention and treatment of vaso-occlusive attacks in sickle cell anemia. Pentoxifylline is one of the most recent. It increases deformability and filtrability of normal or sickled red cells. In this double-blind study it is compared with a placebo for treatment of 20 osteoarticular crisis during SS or SC sickle cell anemia in Mali. Pentoxifylline did not decrease intensity nor duration of crisis. On the other hand the clinical assessment used for testing drugs efficiency over pain seemed effective and reproducible.

Sinusal histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy is a rare pathological entity since, as of 1983, only 200 cases have been published. Following the seminal description in 1965 by Destombes in Blacks, histological features of this disease were specified by Rosai and Dorfman in 1969 and 1972. We report three cases in young Ivorian subjects. The presenting finding is always chronically enlarged lymph nodes, but extranodal lesions are possible, most commonly involving the eye, salivary glands, upper respiratory tract, skin, bone, testis, and nervous system. Diagnosis can be ascertained only upon histologic examination of lymph node biopsy specimens which shows the three cardinal criteria, i.e. massive sinusal histiocytosis, lymphophagocytosis, and mature plasmocytosis. Although a few fatal cases have been reported, the disease usually runs a benign course, with exacerbations of variable duration. Great caution should therefore be taken in deciding upon management, particularly as regards corticosteroid therapy, radiotherapy or anticancer chemotherapy. Etiopathogeny of the disease is unsettled; there is general agreement as to the existence of a cellular immune dysfunction resulting in the lympho-histiocytic proliferation.

The rare occurrence of rubella embryopathy in Mali stimulated us to investigate the rubella immunity of the population. Sera from females from Hamburg (n = 97) between 16 and 42 years old were in 84,5% seropositive (hemolysin-in-gel test) whilst a sample of Malien females (n = 99) were positive in 92,9%. Our investigations showed that the Malien children were significantly (p = less than 0.001) earlier infected by rubella than in Hamburg (Mali: children under 8 years [n = 196] in 46.9%; Hamburg [n = 151] in 20.5%). In Mali 7-8 years old children were already in 87.5% seropositive (Hamburg: only in 46.7%). The early immunity in childhood is due to the bigger African family in comparison with the smaller European family. The height of rubella serum titers was in grown-ups identical, but the relationship was vice versa in both studied newborn populations. Newborns from Mali showed lower rubella antibody titers than their mothers (newborns from Hamburg had a tendency to higher titers). Similar relationships were found already in the amount of neutralizing polioantibodies in newborns from both countries. A rubella immunisation in Mali seems not to be indicated.

The authors cover two cases of gestational choriocarcinoma metastasis with differing clinical profiles, and raise the problem of the diversity of localisations for this affliction. They underline the importance of biology in diagnosis, particularly if the molar abortion is little known, and stress the therapeutical snares, before proposing appropriate prophylactic measures.

The exact responsibility of the hepatitis B virus in hepatic diseases seen in Ivory Coast is difficult to specify for several reasons, particularly technical ones. Nevertheless, we have tried to determine the prevalence of the HB virus in hospital practice and in patients hospitalized for liver diseases (viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, primary liver cancer). Comparison of the results to the prevalence of the virus in the ivorian population and statistical processing has led us to moderate the influence of HB virus in the different hepatic disorders. In primary liver cancer, the role of aflatoxine whose carcinogenic potential is now well established has not been disproved.

Paraneoplasic syndromes an unusual cause of eosinophilia in tropical countries. We report a case of major eosinophilia in a black Malian's bronchopulmonary cancer. A decrease of eosinophilia under antineoplastic chemotherapy is noted. Several physiopathologic hypothesis have been propounded in the literature, particularly the secretion by the tumour of a stimulating hormone for the production of eosinophil cells by the bone marrow.

118 infants under 3 years of age were thrice orally immunised against poliomyelitis at 2 months interval. Before the vaccination 26% were triple negative and 24% triple positive. 44% had neutralising polio antibodies type 1, 53% type 2 and 52% type 3. At the end of the vaccinations 59% of the vaccinees were triple positive and only 3.4% triple negative. 82% had polio antibodies type 1, 85% antibodies type 2 and 76% antibodies type 3. At the start of the trial 54% of the vaccinees excreted enteroviruses. Only in 12% young infants had enterovirus in anal swabs and seroconverted well. In view of the prevalence of paralytic poliomyelitis in tiny babies an early oral polio immunisation in the tropics is highly recommended.

A study of antibodies to HIV1 and HIV2 has been performed among selected groups in Ivory Coast from January to December 1987. In total, 2,578 serum samples were examined. A seropositivity to HIV1 and/or HIV2 was observed in 32 (2.4%) of 1.334 healthy subjects of the general population from 5 different areas, 9 (3.6%) of 246 pregnant women, 58 (12.3%) of 471 blood donors, 72 (34.3%) of 210 female prostitutes, 23 (35.3%) of 65 patients with sexual transmitted diseases, 21 (35.6%) patients with chronic renal insufficiency and 98 (50.7%) patients with severe pulmonary tuberculosis. Among the 313 HIV antibodies carriers, the frequency of HIV1 infection (6.7%) was higher than HIV2 infection (2%). However, 3.4% had a double seropositivity HIV1 and HIV2.

The authors studied the leucocytes count of 173 French people living in Mali (West Africa) during 4 years. 8.3% of these subjects presented neutropenia under 1,800/mm3, 12.2% had lymphocytosis over 4,000/mm3 and 11.6% hypereosinophilia over 500/mm3. These abnormalities differ considerably from one year to another in the same subject; their frequency does not depend upon the age, the sex, the duration of the stay in Africa. Eosinophilia is secondary to helminthiasis. Neutropenia and lymphocytosis are probably secondary to unknown evironmental factors.

In tropical areas transport and storage of living antipoliomyelitic vaccine are difficult and consequently it is considered as hazardous to get a correct immunity with this vaccine. Still, good results have been obtained in Mali children with Sabin vaccine. A previous virological survey has shown that 31 p. 100 of children below 3 years carry enterovirus which are, for 30 p. 100 of them, wild poliovirus. In a serological survey conducted during the same period, near 50 p. 100 of the children in that age group were seronegative for the 3 types of virus and 90 p. 100 of the children between 4 to 7 had neutralizing antibodies against type I, 88 p. 100 against type II and 67 p. 100 against type III. By doubling or trebling the immunizing dose at the first vaccination, the following results have been observed after the second vaccination: 86 p. 100 of the immunized children under 3 years had neutralizing antipoliomyelitic antibodies (titre 1/10) against type I and II and 64 p. 100 against type III, whereas, in the elder group (from 4 to 7) the conversion rate is 100 p. 100 for types I and II and 96 p. 100 for type III.

For many authors masticatory dysfunctions are related to reduction in dietary intake with malnutrition as a possible consequence. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the relationships between masticatory performance and nutritional state in complete denture wearers.Masticatory performance was assessed using a granulometric method in 74 subjects divided into 2 subgroups according to their dental status (normal dentition and complete dental wearers). Nutritional status of study subjects was analyzed with Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA).There were a significant association between wearing denture and Nutritional Status as assessed by MNA. Using this scale, a risk of malnutrition was found in 80% of subjects wearing complete denture and in 26% in the normal dentition sub group (p0.0001). There were also a positive and significant correlation between, the particle size distribution and masticated test food and nutritional status.Complete denture wearers are at greater risk of malnutrition than did subjects with normal dentition.

Many studies have shown that wearing of complete dentures impairs masticatory function. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of complete denture wearing and ageing on masticatory performance. Masticatory performance was assessed by a granulometric method on 110 subjects divided into 3 groups according to dental state and age. The results show edentulous subjects have a masticatory performance worse than their congeneric of the same age. Indeed, the median of the distribution of the size of the particles is more important at the carriers of prostheses than at the toothed old subjects (P0.0001). On the other hand the extent of the distribution does not vary significantly between these 2 groups of subjects. The parameters of the masticatory performance do not vary in a statistically significant way between the old subjects and the young controls. There is thus no significant effect of the age on the parameters of the performance masticatory.

The progression of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Africa has so far been heterogeneous and the full impact is not yet well understood. Here, we describe the genomic epidemiology using a dataset of 8746 genomes from 33 African countries and two overseas territories. We show that the epidemics in most countries were initiated by importations, predominantly from Europe, which diminished following the early introduction of international travel restrictions. As the pandemic progressed, ongoing transmission in many countries and increasing mobility led to the emergence and spread within the continent of many variants of concern and interest, such as B.1.351, B.1.525, A.23.1 and C.1.1. Although distorted by low sampling numbers and blind-spots, the findings highlight that Africa must not be left behind in the global pandemic response, otherwise it could become a breeding ground for new variants.