Caracterisitiques des patients tuberculeux à l’ouest cameroun: 2000-2009

Introduction: La tuberculose (TB) reste de nos jours un problème majeur de santé publique dans les pays en voie de développement. Elle devient de plus en plus importante à cause de l'infection au VIH. Cette étude avait pour but de caractériser les patients admis dans le plus grand Centre de Diagnostic et de Traitement de la Tuberculose (CDT) de l'Ouest Cameroun entre 2000 et 2009. Méthodes: Les patients de 15 ans et plus admis au CDT de Baleng durant la période allant du 1er janvier 2000 au 31  décembre 2009 ont été inclus. Les données ont étés collectées grâce à une grille pré conçue. Le calcul des fréquences, moyennes et les  comparaisons de groupes ont été faites pour ressortir les caractéristiquesdes participants. Résultats: 2556 patients ont été inclus dans l'étude.  64,8% étaient de sexe masculin et l'âge médian étaient de 33ans. 2141(83,7%) de patients présentaient une TPM+, 319 (12,5%) une TPM- et 96 (3,8%) une TEP. 64,7% des patients résidaient hors du district de santéd'implantation du CDT. 79,16% de patients tuberculeux ont fait le test de dépistage du VIH et la séroprévalence chez ceux testés était de 26,06%.Les différentes évolutions en fin de période de suivi de chaque patient ont été les suivantes: évolution favorable (guéri et traitement terminé) 1954(76,6%) ; perdus de vue 231(9,0%) ; décès 230(9,0%) ; transféré 92(3,6%) ; échec 49(1,9%). Conclusion: Une proportion considérable depatients résident loin du CDT ce qui augmenterait le perdus de vue et les transferts pendant le traitement. En plus vulgariser les autres CDT de larégion, il est nécessaire de renforcer le système de transfert pour éviter les perdus de vue entre deux CDT

Prevalence of HIV, HBV and Chlamydia infections in Cameroonian University context: case of the University of Dschang, in the Western Region

Introduction: In sub-Saharan Africa HIV infection remains largely epidemic, whereas HBV infection is highly endemic (>8%). In Cameroon, HIV prevalence is 4.3%. Concerning HBV and chlamydia infections, their prevalence are both ≥10%. Young adults, including university students, are the population groups mostly affected. Epidemiological data on these infections, among university students could be helpful to implement specific prevention strategies. Methods: A descriptive study was performed in May 2013 among 624 students from the University of Dschang, Cameroon. Participants were screened for HIV, HBV and Chlamydia infections. Data was collected by a standard questionnaire and analyzed by Epi Info. Results: Average age of participants was 23.3 years (σ = 3.2) with female predominance (58.7%). Prevalence of HIV, HBV and Chlamydia infection was 1.1% (7/624), 2.8% (5/176) and 2.0% (2/100) respectively. 83.2% of participants were sexually active. Concerning sexual risk behaviors, participants reported having multi partners (14.8%), using condom occasionally (58.6%) or never (5.0%). 100%, 62.6% and 52.2% reported to be aware on HIV, HBV and Chlamydia infections respectively. In addition, only 5.5% and 21.3% of the participants were aware of their HBV and Chlamydia status respectively, versus 64.4% for HIV. The excessive cost of HBV and Chlamydia tests has been identified as the major barrier to testing (87.6%). Conclusion: Among college Cameroonian students the prevalence of HIV, HBV and Chlamydia infections seems to be relatively low if compared to general population. However, having multiple sexual partners in addition to non-systematic use of condoms during sexual intercourse represents risk behaviors among students. Awareness campaigns and screening facilitation on HBV and chlamydia infections need to be strengthened

Cascade of parametric resonances in coupled Josephson junctions

We found that the coupled system of Josephson junctions under external electromagnetic radiation demonstrates a cascade of parametric instabilities. These instabilities appear along the IV characteristics within bias current intervals corresponding to Shapiro step subharmonics and lead to charging in the superconducting layers. The amplitudes of the charge oscillations increase with increasing external radiation power. We demonstrate the existence of longitudinal plasma waves at the corresponding bias current values. An essential advantage of the parametric instabilities in the case of subharmonics is the lower amplitude of radiation that is needed for the creation of the longitudinal plasma wave. This fact gives a unique possibility to create and control longitudinal plasma waves in layered superconductors. We propose a novel experiment for studying parametric instabilities and the charging of superconducting layers based on the simultaneous variation of the bias current and radiation amplitude

The Curative and Prophylactic Effects of Xylopic Acid on Plasmodium berghei

Efforts have been intensified to search for more effective antimalarial agents because of the observed failure of some artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) treatments of malaria in Ghana. Xylopic acid, a pure compound isolated from the fruits of the Xylopia aethiopica, was investigated to establish its attributable prophylactic, curative antimalarial, and antipyretic properties. The antimalarial properties were determined by employing xylopic acid (10–100 mg/kg) in ICR mice infected with Plasmodium berghei. Xylopic acid exerted significant (P<0.05) effects on P. berghei infection similar to artemether/lumefantrine, the standard drug. Furthermore, it significantly (P<0.05) reduced the lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced fever in Sprague-Dawley rats similar to prednisolone. Xylopic acid therefore possesses prophylactic and curative antimalarial as well as antipyretic properties which makes it an ideal antimalarial agent

Utilisation et conservation des ressources en sol et en eau (Nord Cameroun) : rapport final

Après avoir étudié les principaux facteurs régionaux du milieu naturel, une partie de l'étude est consacrée à la caractérisation et à la cartographie des systèmes écologiques de la région de Mouda. Une troisième partie est axée sur les problèmes de fonctionnement des espèces ligneuses et herbacées et fait appel à la connaissance du régime hydrique des sols et à l'organisation des couvertures pédologiques. Une dernière étude, celle du ruissellement et de l'érosion peut être considérée comme la ligne principale du projet

Antihepatotoxic and Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extract and Isolated Compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa

Free radicals, in particular radical oxygen species (ROS), play an important role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of various diseases. Current research in many countries focuses on the use of local medicinal plants as a promising source of liver protective agents. This paper describes the hepatoprotective effects of the methanol extract and four isolated compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa on CCl4-induced liver damage, as well as the possible antioxidant mechanisms involved in this protection. The DPPH test, along with the ß-Carotene-Linoleic Acid Model System and Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power assays, as well as the inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation were used to measure radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities. Pretreatment of rats with the methanol extract of F. chlamydocarpa before CCl4administration, significantly prevented serum increase of hepatic enzyme markers, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), in a dose-dependent manner. The hepatoprotection was also associated with a significant enhancement in hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and a marked decrease of liver malondialdehyde (MDA). Among the four compounds 1-4, isolated from the methanol extract, α-amyrin acetate (1) and luteolin (4) showed a significant hepatoprotective activity, as indicated by their ability to prevent liver cell death and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage during CCl4intoxication

Age of Child, More than HPV Type, Is Associated with Clinical Course in Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Background: RRP is a devastating disease in which papillomas in the airway cause hoarseness and breathing difficulty. The disease is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), 6 or 11 and is very variable. Patients undergo multiple surgeries to maintain a patent airway and in order to communicate vocally. Several small studies have been published in which most have noted that HPV 11 is associated with a more aggressive course. Methodology/Principal Findings: Papilloma biopsies were taken from patients undergoing surgical treatment of RRP and were subjected to HPV typing. 118 patients with juvenile-onset RRP with a least 1 year of clinical data and infected with a single HPV type were analyzed. HPV 11 was encountered in 40% of the patients. By our definition, most of the patients in the sample (81%) had run an aggressive course. The odds of a patient with HPV 11 running an aggressive course were 3.9 times higher that that of patients with HPV 6 (Fisher's exact p=0.017). However, clinical course was more closely associated with age of the patient (at diagnosis and at the time of the current surgery) than with HPV type. Patients with HPV 11 were diagnosed at a younger age (2.4y) than were those with HPV 6 (3.4y) (p=0.014). Both by multiple linear regression and by multiple logistics regression HPV type was only weakly associated with metrics of disease course when simultaneously accounting for age. Conclusions/Significance Abstract: The course of RRP is variable and a quarter of the variability can be accounted for by the age of the patient. HPV 11 is more closely associated with a younger age at diagnosis than it is associated with an aggressive clinical course. These data suggest that there are factors other than HPV type and age of the patient that determine disease course. © 2008 Buchinsky et al