Useful microbiological testing of confectionery products quality

The control of raw materials, processing and environment are critical factors in the prevention of microbial contamination in confectionery. Confidence in the safety and integrity of the food supply is an important requirement for consumers. (Doyle, 2000) Food-borne disease outbreaks involving agents such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus, Listeria and chemical contaminants highlight problems with food safety and increase public anxiety that modern farming systems, food processing and marketing do not provide adequate safeguards for public health. Constant surveillance and good manufacturing practice are the best methods for prevention of contamination. The paper presents the monitoring of two confectionery units, during June 2007 to August 2009, in the city area of Focşani, Vrancea county

The European Standard Series and its additions: are they of any use in 2013?

This study has two purposes:--to know whether the European standard series is still the key reference when it comes to contact dermatitis, i.e., are its components still the most frequently involved allergens in contact dermatitis nowadays?--to assess the results of the European standard series among French and Belgian dermatologists/allergists as, so far, most of them have failed to provide statistical data within the European community of allergists/dermatologists. 18 participants from 2 dermatology and allergy centres in Belgium and 11 centres in France collected their results from 3,073 patients tested in 2011. They assessed the relevance of some tests as well as that of the standard series and additional series to establish an etiological diagnosis of contact dermatitis. These results, together with the history of the European standard series, have shown that some allergens are obsolete and that others should be included in a new standard series for which we are making a few suggestions

Efficacy and safety of methotrexate versus placebo as add-on therapy to H1 antihistamines for patients with difficult-to-treat chronic spontaneous urticaria: A randomized, controlled trial

International audienc

Evaluation of a low-dose methotrexate added to h1-antihistamines regimen for severe chronic spontaneous urticaria: a phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

International audienceIntroduction: H1-antihistamines (anti-H1) are the first-line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Immunosuppressive drugs may be proposed in case of incomplete improvement of CSU. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a low-dose methotrexate added to H1-antihistamines regimen for CSU resistant to anti-H1 treatment, compared with anti-H1 monotherapy in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Materials and Methods: Patients with CSU resistant to at least a 3 month-period of anti-H1 were randomly assigned to receive either low-dose methotrexate (0.2 mg/kg/week) or placebo in addition to anti-H1. Primary outcome was the proportion of patient with complete remission of CSU after 18 weeks (W18), defined as no urticarial lesion within the previous 30 days. Intention to treat analyses were performed (failure was considered when data on primary outcome were missing). Results: From November 2011 to May 2016, 75 patients were randomized: 39 were allocated to methotrexate and 36 to placebo. In the intention to treat population, 3 patients in the methotrexate group (7.9%) and 0 patient in the placebo group (0.0%) had a complete remission at W18 (difference, 7.9 percentage points, [95% confidence interval (CI) -4.0 to 20.8], p=0.24). Eleven patients in the methotrexate group (29.0%) and 6 patients in the placebo group (18.8%) had less than 7 days with urticarial lesions within the 30 days before W18 (difference, 10.2 percentage points, [95% CI -10.2 to 28.8], p=0.40). Clinical adverse events occurred in 56.4% of patients in the methotrexate group and 50.0% in the placebo group (p=0.58), mostly gastrointestinal symptoms. Biological adverse events occurred in 59.0% of patients in the methotrexate group and 30.6% in the placebo group (p=0.01), mainly increased blood level of transaminases. Conclusions: We did not evidence any superiority of a low dose methotrexate added to anti-H1, compared with anti-H1 monotherapy, for patients with chronic spontaneous urticarial

Éruptions eczématiformes chroniques du sujet âgé : quelle imputabilité médicamenteuse ?

International audienceLe rôle des médicaments dans la survenue d’éruptions eczématiformes du sujet âgé (EESA) a été suggéré dans une étude cas-témoin française montrant une fréquence de prise des inhibiteurs calciques de 26 % chez les patients ayant une EESA (OR de 2,5 par rapport aux témoins sans eczéma). Ces résultats ont ensuite été confirmés par une étude rétrospective américaine. Des cas isolés d’EESA ont depuis été rapportés avec le clopidogrel, les IEC, les ARAII et les diurétiques. Notre étude initiale ayant été réalisée il y a 15 ans, nous en avons réalisé une nouvelle pour réévaluer l’association entre les prises médicamenteuses et les EESA

Multiple cases of sensitization to an antiseptic containing chlorhexidine digluconate/benzalkonium chloride/benzyl alcohol with different profiles of sensitization in adults and children

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Higher Frequency of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitor Intake in Bullous Pemphigoid Patients than in the French General Population

International audienceDipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors have been suspected to induce bullous pemphigoid (BP). The objective of this study was to compare the observed frequency of gliptin intake in a large sample of 1,787 BP patients diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 in France, with the expected frequency after indirect age standardization on 225,412 individuals extracted from the database of the National Healthcare Insurance Agency. The secondary objective was to assess the clinical characteristics and the course of gliptin-associated BP, depending on whether gliptin was continued or stopped. The observed frequencies of intake of the whole gliptin class and that of vildagliptin in the BP population were higher than those in the general population after age standardization (whole gliptin class: 6.0%; 95% confidence interval = 4.9-7.1% vs. 3.6%, observed-to-expected drug intake ratio = 1.7; 95% confidence interval = 1.4-2.0; P < 0.0001; vildagliptin = 3.3%; 95% confidence interval = 2.5-4.1% vs. 0.7%, ratio = 4.4; 95% confidence interval = 3.5-5.7; P < 0.0001). The association of any gliptin+metformin was also higher than in the general population, ratio = 1.8 (95% confidence interval = 1.3-2.4; P < 0.0001). Gliptin-associated BP had no specific clinical characteristics. Gliptin was stopped in 48 (45.3%) cases. Median duration to achieve disease control, rate, and delay of relapse were not different whether gliptin was stopped or continued. This study strongly supports the association between gliptin intake, particularly vildagliptin, and the onset of BP