L’ATTEINTE RENALE CHEZ LES PATIENTS DREPANOCYTAIRES

Purpose: to estimate the frequency of renal abnormalities in patients with sickle cell disease and to assess the role of blood transfusion and treatment with hydroxyurea in sickle cell nephropathy prevention. Patients and methods: It’s a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted hematology laboratory at Ibn Rochd University Hospital of Casablanca. The study was conducted during a period of one year (1 January to 31 December 2008). We included in this study patients with sickle cell disease all ages and gender confused. All patients underwent renal laboratory tests. Results: During the study period, 30 patients were collected. The average age of patients was 26 years. Eighteen patients (60%) had homozygous sickle cell disease SS and 12 had a heterozygous form (8 patients with SA (27%), 2 patients SC and 2 patients Sb). Abnormal renal laboratory tests were found in 14 patients (46,7%). Of the 14 patients with renal impairment, 7 have received blood transfusions (OR = 0.23 IC95% [0.03 to 1.50]). Eight of our patients were on hydroxyurea, 2 had abnormal renal function. (OR= 1  IC95% [0.10 to 8.90]) Conclusion: Sickle cell disease is associated with significant abnormalities of renal function. These abnormalities are more frequent in the SS genotype. We have not been able to prove the beneficial effect of the use of hydroxyurea or blood transfusion in the prevention of renal dysfunctions, perhaps due to the relatively small number of patients included in this study.But : Estimer la fréquence des anomalies biologiques rénales chez les patients atteints de drépanocytose et évaluer  le rôle de la transfusion sanguine et du traitement par hydroxyurée dans la prévention de la néphropathie drépanocytaire. Patients et méthodes : étude transversale de type descriptive réalisée au laboratoire d’hématologie du centre hospitalier universitaire Ibn Rochd de Casablanca. L’étude a été menée durant une période d’une année (du 1er Janvier au 31 Décembre 2008). Nous avons inclus dans cette étude tout patient drépanocytaire tout âge et tout sexe confondu. Tous les patients ont bénéficié d’un bilan biologique rénal. Résultats : Durant la période de l’étude, 30 patients ont été colligés. L’âge moyen des patients était 26 ans. Dix huit patients (60%) présentaient une drépanocytose homozygote SS et 12 avaient une drépanocytose hétérozygote (8 patients SA (27%), 2 patients SC et  2 patients Sbêta. Des anomalies du bilan biologique rénal ont été retrouvés chez 14 patients soit 46,7%. Sur ces 14 patients ayant une atteinte rénale, 7  seulement avaient déjà reçu des transfusions sanguines (OR=0,23 IC95%[0,03-1,50]). Huit de nos patients étaient sous hydroxyurée dont 2 avaient une anomalie de la fonction rénale. (OR=1 IC95%[0,10-8,90] ) Conclusion : La drépanocytose est associée à d'importantes anomalies de la fonction rénale.  Ces anomalies sont plus fréquentes dans le génotype SS. Nous n’avons pas pu prouver l’effet bénéfique de l'utilisation de l'hydroxyurée ou de la transfusion sanguine dans la prévention de l’atteinte rénale, peut-être en raison du nombre relativement faible des patients inclus dans ce travail

Performance Analysis of Intelligent Reflecting Surface Aided Wireless Networks with Wireless Power Transfer

The low efficiency of wireless power transfer (WPT) poses a key challenge for energy-constrained wireless networks. To address this issue, in this letter, the integration of intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) into a WPT network is investigated. To this end, an accurate approximation for the probability density function of the end-to-end cascaded fading channel is presented. By leveraging the derived result, accurate closed-form expressions of the outage probability (OP) and average symbol error probability (ASER) are derived for the proposed IRS-aided WPT system. To gain further insight into the system performance, asymptotic closed-form expressions for the ASER and OP are further derived and interesting observations are reported. Particularly, our asymptotic analysis reveals that the achievable diversity in the underlying scenario is independent of the reflective elements of the IRS. The analytical derivations, corroborated by simulation results, demonstrate that IRSs can be promising candidates for the realization of a highly efficient power transfer enabled wireless network.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

High sensitivity measurement of implanted As in the presence of Ge in GexSi1−x/Si layered alloys using trace element accelerator mass spectrometry

This article discusses high sensitivity measurement of implanted As in the presence of Ge in Ge(x)Si(1-x)/Si layered alloys using trace element accelerator mass spectrometry

Pharmacological and toxicological effects of Paronychia argentea in experimental calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis in rats

1 - ArticleAim of the study: Renal protection and antiurolithiasic effects of two extracts of Paronychia argentea (PA), a traditional Algerian plant commonly known as Algerian tea, were evaluated. This study was carried out to determine whether the aqueous extract (APA) or the butanolic extract (BPA) of aerial parts could prevent or reduce calculi aggregation in experimental calcium oxalate (Ox) nephrolithiasis in Wistar rats. Materials and methods: The two extracts (APA and BPA) were administrated orally and daily, during 28 days to nephrolithiasic treated rats at the dose of 250, 500 mg/kg b.w. and 10, 20 mg/kg b.w. respectively. Body weight, renal index, liver index, serum level of creatinine, uric acid, urea, K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+) and transaminase (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST), phosphatase alkaline activity (PAL) were evaluated following the 28 days treatment in rats. In addition histopathological changes in kidney and liver were stained in hematoxylin eosin (HE). Results: The effect of the extracts could be advantageous in preventing urinary stone retention by reducing renal necrosis and thus inhibit crystal retention. In contradiction with APA, the two doses of BPA attenuated elevation in the serum creatinine (p<0.01) and blood urea levels (p<0.01) (nephroprotective effect). However, the increase in ALT (27%) and PAL (31-51%) serum levels and in the relative liver weights (p<0.01) in the groups treated with doses of APA may indicate that this extract has not a hepatoprotective effect against oxalate toxicity. Conclusions: The presented data indicate that administration of the butanolic extract of aerial parts to rats with NaOx induced lithiasis, and reduced and prevented the growth of urinary stones in experimental calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis in Wistar rats. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Hypolipidaemic activity of aqueous ocimim basilicum extract in acute hyperlipidaemia induced by triton WR-1339 in rats and its antioxidant property

Hyperlipidaemia, atherosclerosis and related diseases are becoming a major health problem in developing countries. Ocimum basilicum is one of the medicinal plants widely used in Morocco to reduce plasma cholesterol and to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis-related diseases. However, mechanisms underlying the reported hypolipidaemic effect of this plant have not been investigated. This study evaluates the lipid lowering effect of aqueous Ocimum basilicum extract in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. Hyperlipidaemia was developed in animals by intraperitoneal injection of Triton (200 mg/kg). After injection of Triton the animals were divided into three treatment groups: hyperlipidaemic, hyperlipidaemic plus herb extract and hyperlipidaemic plus fenofibrate treated rats. At 7 h after the Triton injection, levels of plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol in rats treated also with the Ocimum basilicum extract (0.5 g/100 g body weight) were, respectively, 50%, 83% and 79% lower than Triton-treated rats and HDL-cholesterol was 129% higher than in rats given Triton alone. At 24 h following Ocimum basilicum administration, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol levels decreased by 56%, 63% and 68%, respectively, in comparison with the Triton treated group and HDL-cholesterol was not increased significantly. The hypolipidaemic effect exerted by Ocimum basilicum extract was markedly stronger than the effect induced by fenofibrate treatments. Further it was demonstrated that Ocimum basilicum aqueous extract displayed a very high antioxidant power. These results indicate that Ocimum basilicum extract may contain hypolipidaemic and antioxidant substances and its use as a therapeutic tool in hyperlipidaemic subjects may be of benefit and encourage further investigation in this fiel

Temperamental and genetic predictors of suicide attempt and self-mutilation

Background and Aims: Literature findings mainly support the notion that suicide attempts (SA) and self-mutilating behavior (SMB) are distinct behaviors, although they may share common psychopathological features. In the present paper we aimed to identify behavioral phenotypes in patients with SA, SMB, or both (SAM) and to analyze the association with candidate genes. Methods: One hundred forty-two inpatients with a history of SA (n = 86), SMB (n = 22), and SAM (n = 39) were included in this study. Subjects were evaluated using the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI). Polymorphisms within serotonin transporter (SLC6A4, HTTLPR), catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT, Val158Met), and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH, 218C&gt;A) were also analyzed. Results: Principal component factor analysis including the BDHI and TPQ produced 3 factors that could classify the 3 groups of patients with good sensitivity. However, only the ‘pure suicidal' factor had a sufficient positive predictive value. This factor was characterized by high levels of persistence (PS) and, to a lower extent, reward dependence. The distribution of genotypes was not different across patient groups for all polymorphisms, but the SS genotype of HTTLPR was significantly associated with the ‘self-mutilation' factor, characterized by high levels of hostile traits, novelty seeking, and harm avoidance. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that different and overlapping temperamental traits in suicidal and self-mutilating patients are present, although only high levels of PS could predict SA repetition. Finally, HTTLPR may mediate the risk for SMB through modulation of some temperamental traits