Descriptive study of triple negative breast cancer in Eastern Algeria

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the lack of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression. It is aggressive and most common in African women. In this study we identified the frequency, clinical an pathological characteristics of this type in a cohort of women in Eastern Algeria. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study between January 2010 and December 2015 at the regional hospital of Constantine in eastern Algeria. Among 472 women with breast cancer, 102 women had a TNBC. Clinical and pathological features and overall survival were analyzed. Results: 21.61% of patients had TNBC with a median age of 52 years. 65.31% of the patients were menopausal. Only 6.82% of women had a family history of breast cancer. The majority of patients had infiltrating ductal carcinoma (96.08%), the proportion of grade III SBR was 53.92%. The average tumor size was 4.4cm and 70.1% of the tumors had a very large size (T2 and T3). 69.07% of patients had positive lymph nodes, vascular invasion was found in 48.57% of cases. Metastatic sites were bone in 16.13% of cases, hepatic in 3.26% and pulmonary in 0.98%. For treatment modalities, 95.24% underwent surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. 33.33% of patients have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 29% of complete pathologic response (pCR) and 96.97% have received radiotherapy. Overall Survival (OS) for all patients at 5 years was 45.2%. Conclusion: Most of our results are in accordance with literature data, however we noted some discrepancies. In this study, TNBC is more common in menopausal women than non menopausal women and characterized by a low rate of visceral metastases and a lower overall survival at 5 years

Redox status in benign prostatic hyperplasia and non-metastatic prostate cancer in the Algerian population

Background: Depletion of cellular antioxidants can result from free radical formation due to normal endogenous reactions and the ingestion of exogenous substances and environmental factors. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been shown to be significantly altered in malignant cells and in primary cancer tissues. We undertook the present study to investigate the possible alteration of oxidant/antioxidant status in Algerian patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: In total, 89 subjects made up of 26 patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer, 31 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and 32 controls participated in this study. The concentrations of plasmatic malondialdehyde (MDA), erythrocytes catalase activity (CAT), and the plasma glutathione levels (GSH) were estimated using standard procedures. Results: The results showed that MDA concentrations were significantly increased while erythrocyte catalase activity was significantly decreased in the prostate cancer group versus controls (P < 0.01) and BPH group (P < 0.05). GSH levels were lowered in prostate cancer patients versus control group with no significant changes. Conclusions: Our results suggest that an alteration in the lipid peroxidation index with concomitant changes in the antioxidant defense system in prostate cancer patients compared with controls. We hypothesize that an altered pro-oxidant–antioxidant balance may lead to an increase in oxidative damage and consequently may play an important role in prostate carcinogenesis

Serum Total Homocysteine Level in Association with Folate and Vitamin B12 Status Among Algerian Prostate Cancer Patients

Background: Folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine are essential for methyl group metabolism and thus also for DNA methylation and metabolic disorders may lead to carcinogenesis metabolic disorders, which may lead to carcinogenesis. In the present study, we proposed to evaluate the associations between folate and vitamin B12, with fasting plasma tHcy concentration in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Methods: A case –control study was conducted with 40 newly patients with prostate cancer diagnosed with prostate cancer and 50 age matched healthy controls. Serum level of total homocysteine, folate and vitamin B12 were measured by enzyme conversion immunoassay and radioassay, respectively using the ARCHITECT system (both Abbott–Diagnostics Division). Results: The average rate of total PSA was 20.97 ng / ml (ranged between 8- 60 ng / ml). 53% of patients had a PSA≥20ng/ml. Histology confirmed that all patients accounted for prostatic adenocarcinoma with prognostic Gleason score that ranged between 7 and 8 . There are no significant differences between cases and controls about serum Hcy levels (adjusted OR = 0.160% CI = 0.832-1.031), folate levels (adjusted OR = 0.428% CI  = 0.977-1.008) and vitamin B12 (adjusted OR = 0.103% CI  = 0.992-1.001). Conclusion: In this study, the results show that homocysteine is not involved in prostate cancer. However, this study shows that the sporadic form is much more prevalent than familial one. The diagnosis is often made too late in advanced stage with a high PSA levels and biopsy showing high levels of Gleaso

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected

Study of the susceptibility of bacteria Paenibacillus larvae. causative agent of American foulbrood at oxytetracycline antibiotic

American foulbrood is a very serious disease of the honeybee Apis mellifrea worldwide and Algeria. It caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of AFB in the central region of Algeria (Algiers, Bouira, Blida, Boumerdes, Tizi Ouzou, Tipaza, Medea and Ain Defla) and determine the effectiveness of oxytetracycline against this disease in the laboratory. Microbiological, biochemical and microscopic tests were used to assess the prevalence of this pathogen. The majority of study areas infested by this pathology with an average rate of 47.56% of contamination. We have established the 15 isolates resistance profile vis-a-vis oxytetracycline by the disc diffusion method. The classification of inhibition diameters in decreasing order showed that 8 of 15 samples are resistances.  Associated with sanitary prophylaxis, antibiotics may help to reduce the pathological consequences of Paenibacillus larvae. However, it is best to alternate the use of different fa milies of antibiotics to prevent the development of resistance.Keys words : American Foulbrood Disease, Antibiotics-Resistance, Honey Bee, Algeria

Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Some Samples of Honey Produced by Beekeepers In Algeria

This study aims to evaluate the physicochemical and microbiological quality of 11 samples of locally produced honey harvested from bee colonies across different regions of Algeria. Honeys analyzed are characterized by their different floral origins. Want germs are total aerobic mesophilic flora, total coliforms, anaerobic bacteria Sulfito-Drive (clostridium), yeasts and moulds. Water content, pH, the concentration of hydroxymethylfurfural and sucrose content were also measured. For the physicochemical properties, most of the samples meet the requirements of Codex Alimentarius. Microbiological results showed that there is heterogeneity in the load of microorganisms sampled. Honeys have a low microbial profile. Total coliforms and clostridium were not detected in any sample. For counting the total aerobic mesophilic flora (TAMF), two local and imported samples have a concentration greater than the standard TAMF. Yeasts and moulds were also present but at low levels, and figures in all but three samples were below the norm

Microbial diversity and pathogenic properties of microbiota associated with aerobic vaginitis in women with recurrent pregnancy loss

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a major reproductive problem that affects approximately 5% of couples. The objective of this study was to assess vaginal flora dysbiosis in women suffering from unexplained RPL and to investigate the pathogenic properties of the microbiota associated with aerobic vaginitis (AV). The study included one hundred fifteen women, 65 with RPL and 50 controls. The diversity of vaginal microbiota isolated was evaluated by molecular sequencing. Then, pathogenic factors, such as acid-resistance, antibiotics susceptibility, and biofilm formation were evaluated. The prevalence of AV was five-fold higher in the RPL group than in the controls (64.6% vs. 12.0%). The most prevalent isolates in the case group were Enterococcus spp. (52%) and Staphylococcus spp. (26%). All bacterial strains tolerate low pH. The prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) among all bacteria was 47.7%. Of all strains, 91.0% were biofilm producers. The presence of MDR was found to be related to biofilm formation. The results provide evidence supporting an increased presence of dysbiosis of the vaginal flora, especially AV, in women with RPL in Tunisia. The viability of the AV-associated bacteria and their persistence in the genitals may be due to their ability to resist low pH and to produce a biofilm