Sarcoidosis with heart involvement: a rare association of terrible prognosis, a report of two cases

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disorder of unknown etiology which is characterized by the formation of  non-caseating granulomas in involved tissues. Cardiac involvement is one of the least common manifestations and it can occur at any point of time during the course of sarcoidosis. Here we present the case of 2 patients with known sarcoidosis who develop cardiac abnormalities in the absence of known primary cardiac cause. In our report, we would like to draw attention to the importance of considering heart involvement in any case with systemic sarcoidosis especially in young age.Key words: Cardiac sarcoidosis, Sarcoidosis, Ventricular arrhythmia

Dermatomyosite et panniculite: place des immunoglobulines

La panniculite est une maladie inflammatoire du tissu adipeux sous-cutané rarement associée à la dermatomyosite. Elle peut survenir avant, après ou en même temps que l'atteinte musculaire. Dans la plupart des cas, l'évolution de la panniculite et des autres atteintes de la dermatomyosite est favorable sous traitement corticoïde et/ou immunosuppresseur. Nous rapportons le cas d'une patiente âgée de 48 ans ayant présenté des lésions de panniculite précédant de 2 mois les signes musculaires. L'atteinte cutanée était résistante au traitement corticoïde associés aux immunosuppresseurs ce qui a nécessité le recours au traitement par Immunoglobulines polyvalentes permettant ainsi une amélioration à la fois de l'atteinte cutanée et musculaire.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Growth, Reproduction and Sex Ratios in Oreochromis Andersonii (Castelnau, 1861) Fed with Varying Levels of 17α-Methyl Testosterone

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Fulminant lupus pneumonitis complicating systemic lupus erythematosus in the elderly

Abstract Fulminant lupus pneumonitis is a rare complication of SLE. We report a case of 75 years‐old male patient with SLE who developed pneumonia and severe respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Refractory respiratory distress complicating noninfectious fulminant lupus pneumonitis did not respond to methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment

Characterization of endophytic Bacillus strains from tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) displaying antifungal activity against Botrytis cinerea Pers

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Lupus erythematosus panniculitis: A case report

Lupus erythematosus panniculitis (LEP), an uncommon variant in the clinicopathological spectrum of lupus erythematosus (LE), is rare. There are only a few reported series of patients with this condition; none in individuals of North African ancestry. LEP is characterized by inflammation of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. It usually consists of nodules and hardened subcutaneous plaques on the forehead, cheeks, proximal extremities, and buttocks. Leg involvement is rare and can lead to misdiagnosis. A case of LEP, with unusual involvement of legs, is reported in a 40-year-old woman who had the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) four years ago

Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisia (North Africa) through Several Successive Waves of COVID-19

Documenting the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in different regions of the world is crucial for monitoring virus transmission worldwide and contributing to global efforts towards combating the pandemic. Tunisia has experienced several waves of COVID-19 with a significant number of infections and deaths. The present study provides genetic information on the different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Tunisia over 17 months. Lineages were assigned for 1359 samples using whole-genome sequencing, partial S gene sequencing and variant-specific real-time RT-PCR tests. Forty-eight different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified, including variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, A.27, Zeta and Eta. The first wave, limited to imported and import-related cases, was characterized by a small number of positive samples and lineages. During the second wave, a large number of lineages were detected; the third wave was marked by the predominance of the Alpha VOC, and the fourth wave was characterized by the predominance of the Delta VOC. This study adds new genomic data to the global context of COVID-19, particularly from the North African region, and highlights the importance of the timely molecular characterization of circulating strains

Differential impact of consanguineous marriages on autosomal recessive diseases in Tunisia

International audienceObjectives Consanguinity is common in Tunisia. However, little information exists on its impact on recessive disorders. In this study, we evaluate the impact of consanguineous marriages on the occurrence of some specific autosomal recessive disorders and consider how other factors, such as population substructure and mutation frequency, may be of equal importance in disease prevalence. Methods Consanguinity profiles were retrospectively studied among 425 Tunisian patients suffering from autosomal recessive xeroderma pigmentosum, dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa, Gaucher disease, Fanconi anemia, glycogenosis type I, and ichthyosis, and compared to those of a healthy control sample. Results Consanguinity was observed in 341 cases (64.94%). Consanguinity rates per disease were 75.63, 63.64, 60.64, 61.29, 57.89, 73.33, and 51.28%, respectively. First-cousin marriages were the most common form of consanguinity (48.94%) with the percentages of 55.46, 45.46, 47.87, 48.39, 45.61, 56.66, and 35.90%, respectively. A very high level of geographic endogamy was also observed (93.92%), with the values by disease ranging between 75.86 and 96.64%. We observed an overall excess risk associated to consanguinity of nearly sevenfold which was proportional to the number of affected siblings and the frequency of disease allele in the family. Consanguinity was significantly associated with the first five cited diseases (odds ratio=24.41, 15.17, 7.5, 5.53, and 5.07, respectively). However, no meaningful effects were reported among the remaining diseases. Conclusions This study reveals a variation in the excess risk linked to consanguinity according to the type of disorder, suggesting the potential of cryptic population substructure to contribute to disease incidence in populations with complex social structure like Tunisia. It also emphasizes the role of other health and demographic aspects such as mutation frequency and reproductive replacement in diseases etiology. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc