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Reports on the discussion during the symposium on the topic related to recent developments in infectious diseases and HIV or AIDS pathology. Pathology of cerebral malaria; Description of hemorrhagic fevers; Changes in the global clinical pathology of HIV or AIDS.

Disseminated peritoneal tuberculosis accounts for 1–3% of tuberculosis disease, represented by high frequency of lung defects in endemic countries. The authors report one case in a 43-year-old woman, the initial interpretation of which, based on pleural and peritoneal exudate, showed suspected latero-uterine mass and significant elevated serum CA 125 level, mimicking disseminated ovarian carcinoma. Only after exploring laparotomy with biopsy was disseminated peritoneal tuberculosis identified, thus correcting the diagnosis. Symptomatology, X–ray defect, and cynetic of serum CA 125 level were left in totality after 3 months of antituberculosis multidrugs. This is a diagnostic trap, which presents a new interest for such pathology as tuberculosis, which is on the increase again in the West. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Study objective: Long COVID patients can experience high levels of impairment in their cognitive function and mental health. Using a parallel randomized control trial, we evaluated the effectiveness of a neuro-meditation program to reduce cognitive impairment in patients with long COVID. Methods: A total of 34 patients with long COVID were randomized to an intervention group (G-Int; n = 17) or a control group (G-Con; n = 17) and 15 healthy participants were constitutive of a normative group (G-Nor). The intervention consisted of ten 30-min sessions of Rebalance® over a period of five weeks. Each session included sound therapy and coach-guided meditation associated with light stimulations (i.e., chromotherapy). Primary outcomes were performance on five computerized cognitive tasks (choice response time, pattern comparison, Simon, pursuit rotor task, and Corsi block-tapping task), mental and physical fatigue (Chalder fatigue scale), perceived stress (perceived stress scale) and mood (profiles of mood states). Secondary outcomes were anxiety and depressive symptoms (hospital anxiety and depression scale), muscular pain, joint pain, and headaches using visual analog scales (VAS) as well as sleep quality (Spiegel sleep questionnaire). Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 1−2 and 7−8 days of follow-up. Results: Compared to healthy subjects, long COVID patients showed significant differences at baseline on all the self-report questionnaires, and a Rebalance® program improved all the subjective reports, as well as cognitive performances, especially on reaction time-based tasks. In particular, only the G-Int group revealed shortened reaction times in the choice reaction time (RTbaseline = 593 ± 121 ms vs. RTpost2 = 521 ± 86 ms, p < 0.001), Simon (RTbaseline = 539 ± 123 ms vs. RTpost2 = 494 ± 134 ms, p < 0.01), and pattern comparison tasks (RTbaseline = 1244 ± 315 ms vs. RTpost2 = 1079 ± 213 ms, p < 0.001). Conclusions) Initial evidence suggests that neuro-meditation reduces cognitive impairment and improves physical and mental fatigue, muscle and joint pain, symptoms of depression and anxiety, mood disturbances as well as sleep quality. The Rebalance® program hence constitutes a promising non-pharmacological intervention for the treatment of long-term psychological/cognitive outcomes of COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a neuro-meditation program to support nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-five (10 men and 35 women) nurses were classified into three groups based on their systolic blood pressure: normotensive (G-nor; n  = 16, 43.8 ± 11.0 year), hypertensive (G-hyp; n  = 13, 45.2 ± 10.7 year) and control (G-con; n  = 16, 44.9 ± 10.6 year). Using a parallel, randomly controlled design across a 4-week period, 10 × 30-min sessions using the Rebalance© Impulse were completed. Sleep was assessed by wrist actigraphy and subjective sleep questionnaires; perceived sleep quality, Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test questionnaire and the Spiegel Sleep Quality questionnaire (SSQ). Blood pressure, resting heart rate, mean heart rate (HRmean), heart rate variability index (RMSSD), cortisol, and alpha-amylase were also measured. Statistical analysis was completed using factorial ANOVA. Sleep improved in the G-hyp group; SSQ ( p < 0.01); perceived sleep quality ( p < 0.01); sleep efficiency and fragmentation index ( p < 0.05). In the G-nor group, sleep was improved to a lesser extent; perceived sleep quality ( p < 0.01). A significant time-group interaction was reported in resting heart rate ( p  < 0.01), systolic blood pressure ( p  < 0.01), and diastolic blood pressure ( p  < 0.05) with these measures being significantly reduced in the G-hyp group. RMSSD increased in the G-nor group ( p < 0.01). This initial evidence suggests that neuro-meditation reduces excessive sympathetic activity, promoting enhanced sleep quality and autonomic control during periods of increased work-related stress., Clinical Trial Registration: The study was conducted at Bioesterel, Sophia-Antipolis, France as a clinical trial: Neuro-meditation improves sleep quality, https://www.drks.de/ui&#95;data&#95;web/DrksUI.html?locale=en, DRKS00025731., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Hausswirth, Nesi, Dubois, Duforez, Rougier and Slattery.)

Exceptionally high incidence rates of thyroid cancer have been reported in New Caledonia, particularly in Melanesian women. To clarify the reasons of this elevated incidence, we conducted a countrywide population-based case-control study in the multiethnic population of Caledonian women. The study included 293 cases of thyroid cancer and 354 population controls. Based on a food frequency questionnaire, we investigated the role in thyroid cancer of food items rich in iodine-such as seafood-and of vegetables containing goitrogens-such as cruciferous vegetables. A measure of total daily iodine intake based on a food composition table was also used. Our findings provided little support for an association between thyroid cancer and consumption of fish and seafood. We found that high consumption of cruciferous vegetables was associated with thyroid cancer among women with low iodine intake (OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.01-3.43 for iodine intake <96 microg/day). The high consumption of cruciferous vegetables among Melanesian women, a group with mild iodine deficiency, may contribute to explain the exceptionally high incidence of thyroid cancer in this group.

We report on a woman who gave birth consecutively to an infant with limb body wall complex (LBWC) and then to an infant with amniotic band sequence (ABS). This paper reviews the different etiological hypotheses and the classification problems for the amniotic band diseases. No maternal factors were found, but this clinical report suggests further research in this direction, as well as the need to look more closely at the relation between LBWC and ABS., ((c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Thyroid cancer incidence in New Caledonia is the highest reported in the world and is approximately 10-fold higher than in most developed countries. We describe the incidence patterns in this country according to histological and sociodemographic characteristics to give clues about potential etiologic factors. Another objective is to see whether the incidence figures are related to enhanced detection of small size carcinomas. The study included all 498 cases of thyroid cancer diagnosed in 1985-1999. Pathology reports were systematically reviewed to determine the histological type of the tumor and the size of the cancerous nodules. The incidence of carcinomas < or =10 mm was taken as an indicator of enhanced detection due to improved screening procedures. The age-standardized incidence rates in 1985-1999 were exceptionally high in Melanesian women (71.4/100,000) and men (10.4/100,000). The incidence increased three-fold in women from 1995 onwards. The increase in incidence was more striking for papillary carcinomas < or =10 mm than for large size carcinomas, but an increased incidence of carcinomas >10 mm was also observed among women. The analysis by municipality of residence in Melanesian women showed that the incidence was twice as high in 1995-1999 in the Loyalty Islands as in the rest of the country. The sharp increase of thyroid cancer incidence in 1985-1999 in New Caledonia was partly related to enhanced detection of small size carcinomas. The elevated incidence of thyroid cancers, as well as the ethnic and geographic disparities, may result from common environmental or lifestyle risk factors that need to be identified.

Background: In 1991, a relationship was established between excess cases of pleural cancer in New Caledonia and a traditional lime, called "Pö", to cover houses. Our study aimed to determine whether the Pö is the only cause of mesothelioma in New Caledonia., Methods: Eligible cases were pleural tumor diagnosed between 1984 and 2002 with histological diagnosis of mesothelioma. For each case, two controls were selected from the cancer registry. Cases and controls were compared for the ethnic groups and the places of residence. To identify environmental risk factors, we used first a qualitative analysis comparing villages with and without mesothelioma cases, then a linear regression including Pö, mining activity and serpentinite in surface soil., Results: Sixty-eight cases were included: 37 men and 31 women. Melanesians had the highest risk (OR=16.18; 95% CI=[5.68; 49.64]) and 30% of the cases lived in Houailou (OR=119). Mining activity and Pö were not significant risk factors. The existence of a significant relationship between soil containing serpentinite and mesothelioma was demonstrated (p=0.017). The sex ratio close to 1 and the number of young cases are consistent with environmental exposure., Conclusion: Pö did not explain all cases; only serpentinite in the soil was identified as a significant risk factor. A research project has been initiated in the area around Houailou, with the objective of constructing a model taking into account: exposure to the Pö, exposure to airborne pollution by asbestos fibres at the place of residence, and occupational exposure. Epidemiological and geological investigations are underway.

Exceptionally high incidence rates of thyroid cancer have been reported for Melanesian women in New Caledonia (South Pacific). To investigate the occurrence of thyroid cancer in that country and to clarify the role of goiter and hormonal factors in that disease in women, a countrywide population-based case-control study was conducted in 1993-1999. The study included 293 cases, identified through pathology registers and whose thyroid cancer was verified histologically, and 354 population controls. Thyroid cancer was associated with goiter, age at menarche, irregular menstruation, and hysterectomy. There was a dose-response trend with number of full-term pregnancies (p = 0.01), with an odds ratio of 2.2 (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 4.3) for women with eight or more pregnancies. Miscarriage, particularly as an outcome of the first pregnancy, was also indicated as a risk factor. The association between voluntary abortion and thyroid microcarcinoma could be explained by enhanced medical surveillance and improved cancer detection in women undergoing abortion. Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy were unrelated to thyroid cancer. The very high birth rate among Melanesian women in New Caledonia, as well as late age at menarche, may explain, in part, their elevated incidence of thyroid cancer.

Several cases of Bancroftian filariasis were recently reported on Ouvea Island which is part of the archipelago of New Caledonia located in the south Pacific Ocean. Following these reports systematic screening was carried out in a group of 382 adult consultees at two medical dispensaries. Tests to detect microfilariae in the blood and antibodies in serum were performed at the Pasteur Institute in New Caledonia and the Malarde Institute in Papeete, French Polynesia, respectively. Of the two subjects with manifestations consistent with filariasis, one was seropositive but neither presented microfilariae. Overall 14 subjects (3.7 p. 100) presented microfilariae and 124 were seropositive (33.5 p. 100). The serologic index was significantly higher in men than in women (6.1 p. 100 vs 2.1 p. 100). Parasitic and serologic indexes were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in subjects living in the northern than southern part of the island. As in previous studies in New Caledonia, present data showed that Bancrofitian filariasis is asymptomatic on Ouvea Island. This finding contrasts with the symptomatic forms described on other islands in the south Pacific.

To investigate the contribution of the previously demonstrated in vitro apoptosis to the pathogenesis of leptospirosis, guinea pigs were infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar icterohaemorrhagiae strain Verdun and sequentially killed to collect target organs involved in the natural history of the disease (liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen and heart). The combination of histopathological procedures and a specific TUNEL assay showed a significant Leptospira-induced programmed cell death of hepatocytes with a peak at 48 h post inoculation. Hepatocyte nuclei showed morphological changes including fragmented and condensed nuclei. This phenomenon occurred early in the course of the disease at a time where infecting leptospires were present at a low density between the liver parenchyma cells.

A micromethod of indirect immunofluorescence with monoclonal antibodies to study surface markers of leukocytes and precursors, is described. This method consists of attaching non specifically living cells on a slide, previously treated with a high molecular weight polymer (L-lysin). The advantage of this method consists of using only 1.10(4) cells by typage, and low amounts monoclonal antibodies (twenty to forty less). In addition, this common method can be used in most biology laboratories.

The authors report the observation of a 50 years old Madagascan woman who has been evacuated to France because of a blindness in her right eye. This disease is progressively complete after six months, and the intra-vitrious cysticercosis is diagnosed following a patient, minutely detailed and daily observation through the biomicroscope during four consecutive days. The surgical operation allows the cryo extraction of the vesicle of Cysticercus cellulosae which is not touched. This observation gives rise to recall epidemiologic chain of affectedness, the frequency of eye locations, the differential diagnosis for the other larva cestodosis and at last the prophylatic basic measures to make in the endemic areas.

Marquesas Islands, within the French Polynesian territory, are situated in the south hemisphere, near the Equator. They are volcanic islands, with a humid and hot climate, and high hygrometry . These islands are relatively isolated. Our sera were collected at the occasion of a blood test campaign: in Taiohae , 104 people, and Atuona , 149 people; they were between 17 and 57 years old. The results show that 45 people have antibodies against L. biflexa Patoc (17,8%). Among them, 24 have antibodies against icterohaemorrhagiae (9,5%). This is the evidence of the presence of leptospires in these islands.

We describe a simple indirect immunofluorescence micromethod for cell typing. Cells are layered on 18-well immunofluorescence slides coated with high polymer poly-L-lysine. Expressed cell surface membrane markers are detected by indirect immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies and the cells are stained with Evans blue dye to permit easy morphological identification under fluorescence and light microscopy. We compared this method with a conventional method for lymphocyte typing in 16 blood samples and 10 bronchoalveolar lavage samples. The results of the two methods did not differ and correlated closely (r = 0.988 for blood samples; r = 0.995 for bronchoalveolar lavage samples). The principal advantages of this micromethod are: the small amounts of cells (10(4) cells) and reagents needed, the ease with which numerous antibodies can be tested and the convenience offered by fixation and staining of cell preparations for reading.

The authors report the case of a 42-year old woman who developed chronic myelocytic leukemia with Philadelphia chromosome followed, 21 months later, by malignant follicular lymphoma with small cleaved cells and giant cells. This case is comparable to the other associations of acute or chronic myelocytic and lymphocytic blood diseases previously published. Several pathogenic theories are reviewed. They involve chemotherapy with alkylating drugs (but the diagnosis is sometimes simultaneous), cellular oncogens or, more probably, a clonal abnormality of the stem cell sequentially or concomitantly expressed in the cells of both lineages; unfortunately, in the absence of Philadelphia chromosome this theory has not yet been demonstrated on lymphoma cells.

The sickle cell trait may result in recurrent macroscopic haematuria which can cause severe anaemia. Despite normal intravenous urography and CAT, the haemorrhage probably occurs in the renal medulla due to the operative physiopathogenic conditions. A proliferative mesangial glomerulonephritis with IgG, IgA, IgM and complement deposits, which has a controversial relationship with sickle cell disease, may be discovered by renal biopsy. The severity of the anaemia may necessitate treatment with epsilon-aminocaproic acid which cures the haematuria but may provoke rhabdomyolysis. This case report is followed by a review of the literature of the different types of renal involvement in sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia.