Poussée de maladie de Kaposi et élévation du CA 19-9: Penser à la tuberculose!

La maladie de Kaposi (MK) est une entité pathologique qui peut survenir chez les patients VIH positifs et dans le cadre d'une immunodépression, d'origine tuberculeuse très rarement. On décrit le cas d'une MK chez un patient VIH négatif au décours d'une tuberculose. Nous rapportons le cas d'un patient âgé de 81 ans, VIH négatif, ayant présenté deux nodules angiomateux de l'avant bras gauche dont la biopsie cutanée était en faveur d'une MK. L'évolution était marquée 2 mois plus tard, par  l'apparition de placards angiomateux extensifs des deux membres supérieurs et d'adénopathies cervicales jugulo-carotidiennes bilatérales. La biopsie ganglionnaire était en faveur d'une  tuberculose ganglionnaire. Par ailleurs, il avait un taux sérique élevé des CA 19-9. La régression de l'étendue des lésions au niveau des membres  supérieurs et la  normalisation du taux sérique des CA 19-9 ont été obtenues sous traitement anti-tuberculeux. Chez les patients atteints d'une MK avec une élévation des CA 19-9, il faut penser à la tuberculose

Measurement of 1.7 to 74 MeV polarised gamma rays with the HARPO TPC

Current {\gamma}-ray telescopes based on photon conversions to electron-positron pairs, such as Fermi, use tungsten converters. They suffer of limited angular resolution at low energies, and their sensitivity drops below 1 GeV. The low multiple scattering in a gaseous detector gives access to higher angular resolution in the MeV-GeV range, and to the linear polarisation of the photons through the azimuthal angle of the electron-positron pair. HARPO is an R&D program to characterise the operation of a TPC (Time Projection Chamber) as a high angular-resolution and sensitivity telescope and polarimeter for {\gamma} rays from cosmic sources. It represents a first step towards a future space instrument. A 30 cm cubic TPC demonstrator was built, and filled with 2 bar argon-based gas. It was put in a polarised {\gamma}-ray beam at the NewSUBARU accelerator in Japan in November 2014. Data were taken at different photon energies from 1.7 MeV to 74 MeV, and with different polarisation configurations. The electronics setup is described, with an emphasis on the trigger system. The event reconstruction algorithm is quickly described, and preliminary measurements of the polarisation of 11 MeVphotons are shown.Comment: Proceedings VCI201

Burden of visceral leishmaniasis in villages of eastern gedaref state, Sudan: an exhaustive cross-sectional survey.

Since December 2009, Médecins Sans Frontières has diagnosed and treated patients with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Tabarak Allah Hospital, eastern Gedaref State, one of the main endemic foci of VL in Sudan. A survey was conducted to estimate the VL incidence in villages around Tabarak Allah

Pathocenosis: A Holistic Approach to Disease Ecology

The History of medicine describes the emergence and recognition of infectious diseases, and human attempts to stem them. It also throws light on the role of changing environmental conditions on disease emergence/re-emergence, establishment and, sometimes, disappearance. However, the dynamics of infectious diseases is also influenced by the relationships between the community of interacting infectious agents present at a given time in a given territory, a concept that Mirko Grmek, an historian of medicine, conceptualized with the word “pathocenosis”. The spatial and temporal evolution of diseases, when observed at the appropriate scales, illustrates how a change in the pathocenosis, whether of “natural” or anthropic origin, can lead to the emergence and spread of diseases

Computer-Assisted Classification Patterns in Autoimmune Diagnostics: The AIDA Project

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are significant biomarkers in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases in humans, done by mean of Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF)method, and performed by analyzing patterns and fluorescence intensity. This paper introduces the AIDA Project (autoimmunity: diagnosis assisted by computer) developed in the framework of an Italy-Tunisia cross-border cooperation and its preliminary results. A database of interpreted IIF images is being collected through the exchange of images and double reporting and a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported images, has been settled. The Gold Standard database is used for optimization of aCAD(Computer AidedDetection) solution and for the assessment of its added value, in order to be applied along with an Immunologist as a second Reader in detection of autoantibodies. This CAD system is able to identify on IIF images the fluorescence intensity and the fluorescence pattern. Preliminary results show that CAD, used as second Reader, appeared to perform better than Junior Immunologists and hence may significantly improve their efficacy; compared with two Junior Immunologists, the CAD system showed higher Intensity Accuracy (85,5% versus 66,0% and 66,0%), higher Patterns Accuracy (79,3% versus 48,0% and 66,2%), and higher Mean Class Accuracy (79,4% versus 56,7% and 64.2%)

Dynamics of Parasite Clearance in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Patients Treated with Miltefosine

Parasite loads were quantified in repeated skin biopsies from lesions of 2 patients with Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major and L. infantum during and after treatment with miltefosine. Miltefosine induced a rapid therapeutic effect on both infections with an initial decline of parasites of ∼1 log/week for the L. major infection. These observations illustrate the usability of quantifying parasite loads in skin lesions as a pharmacodynamic measure and quantitative descriptor of drug effect for CL supporting clinical assessment

Preliminary results of the project A.I.D.A. (Auto Immunity: Diagnosis Assisted by computer)

In this paper, are presented the preliminary results of the A.I.D.A. (Auto Immunity: Diagnosis Assisted by computer) project which is developed in the frame of the cross-border cooperation Italy-Tunisia. According to the main objectives of this project, a database of interpreted Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF) images on HEp 2 cells is being collected thanks to the contribution of Italian and Tunisian experts involved in routine diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. Through exchanging images and double reporting; a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported IIF images with different patterns including negative tests, has been settled. This Gold Standard database has been used for optimization of a computing solution (CADComputer Aided Detection) and for assessment of its added value in order to be used along with an immunologist as a second reader in detection of auto antibodies for autoimmune disease diagnosis. From the preliminary results obtained, the CAD appeared more powerful than junior immunologists used as second readers and may significantly improve their efficacy

Discrepant Prevalence and Incidence of Leishmania Infection between Two Neighboring Villages in Central Mali Based on Leishmanin Skin Test Surveys

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected sand fly. Leishmaniasis is present in more than 88 countries and affects more than 12 million people. Depending on the species of Leishmania, the host can develop cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which is characterized by skin ulcers in uncovered parts of the body or a more severe form, visceral leishmaniasis, which affects the liver and spleen and is fatal if not treated. This study aims to establish the past and present infection with Leishmania parasites in two villages where recent cases have been diagnosed by the dermatology center (CNAM) in Bamako. This was achieved using a Leishmania-specific skin test that was administered annually to permanent residents of Kemena and Sougoula villages from 2006 to 2008. The results show that transmission of Leishmania is active and stable in these two villages. Moreover, despite sharing similar cultural and environmental features, the individuals from Kemena presented three times the risk of Leishmania infection compared with those from Sougoula. Our findings raise awareness of the continued presence of CL in Mali