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A Gessain

Publications and source records attributed to A Gessain.

179 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

[Adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia associated with HTLV-I virus in Martinique: apropos of 2 cases].

Two HTLV-I associated adult T cell leukemia cases were observed in patient from Martinique (French West Indies). These case are similar to the clinical entity, described by Takatsuki in 1977 in Japan and by Catovsky in Caribbean patients, characterized by a lymphadenopathy, skin lesions and visceral involvement, hypercalcemia, an aggressive course, and poor prognosis. The malignant cells with T4 phenotype and often suppressive function, were pleomorphic, mature, with prominent nuclear irregularities. Systematic research of HTLV-I virus or antibodies in patients with this clinical picture, to measure the influence of this virus in T cell lymphoproliferative diseases in France and in French West Indies is required.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type-I in patients with tropical spastic paraparesis.

10 out of 17 (59%) patients with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) had antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus-I (HTLV-I), as did 5 out of 5 TSP patients with systemic symptoms. Only 13 out of 303 (4%) controls, made up of blood donors, medical personnel, and other neurological patients, had such antibodies. These findings suggest either that HTLV-I is neurotropic or that the virus or a related one contributes to the pathogenesis of TSP.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Comparative seroepidemiology of HTLV-I and HTLV-III in the French West Indies and some African countries.

The prevalence of antibodies detected by ELISA against human T-lymphotropic viruses, type I (HTLV-I) and type III (HTLV-III-LAV), is described in a comparative serosurvey in the French West Indies and African countries. The data confirm that the Caribbean basin is endemic for HTLV-I. In this region, HTLV-I antibody prevalence varied from 3.4% to 5.2% among blood donors and increased with age to reach a value of 33% among elderly people from the Dominica Island. In French Guyana, a South American country bordering the Caribbean sea, differences in antibody distribution across three ethnic groups (black Bonis, Indian Wayanas, and Hmongs from Asia) provide clues for investigation of the mode of HTLV-I transmission. Africa appears to be an endemic continent for HTLV-I and HTLV-III. For both viruses, the antibody prevalence exhibited an increasing gradient from northern to equatorial through Sudanic areas. These preliminary data by showing that Africa represents an endemic reservoir of HTLVs and, possibly, of other human retroviruses should stimulate further investigations on the natural history and the geographical origin of these viruses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Antibodies to HTLV-I p24 in sera of blood donors, elderly people and patients with hemopoietic diseases in France and in French West Indies.

Human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) is a type-C retrovirus originally isolated from patients with leukemia or lymphoma involving mature T lymphocytes. Epidemiological studies have shown that HTLV-I infection occurs not only in leukemic but also in normal people in at least two areas of the world: the Caribbean basin and the South-West of Japan. We report here the results of a large seroepidemiological study of HTLV-I infection in normal French blood donors, elderly subjects living in institutions and patients with various malignant hemopathies, obtained by the classical HTLV-I p24 radioimmunoassay. We were unable to demonstrate antibodies to HTLV-I in 510 sera from French volunteer blood donors born and living in continental France or in sera from 262 blood donors born in other countries (mainly in Europe and North Africa) and living in continental France at the time of collection. In contrast, among 131 sera from blood donors born in French overseas territories (French Guiana, French West Indies, and Reunion) but living at the time of collection in continental France, 2 (1.5%) were found to possess anti-HTLV-I antibodies. In a sample of 2,597 blood donors from Martinique, 39 (1.5%) were positive. A positive correlation with age was observed whereas no statistical relationship was found between HTLV-I antibodies and sex, red cell blood groups or the place of residence in Martinique. On the other hand, a very high level of positive values was observed in Martinique among old people living in institutions, 14% of those aged over 60 years being positive. HTLV-I-associated hematological malignancies have not been observed in patients born and living in continental France whereas a large number exist in the French West Indies. In the same area, the presence of anti-HTLV-I antibodies in 12% of patients with myeloma, a typical B-cell disease, merits attention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

[High prevalence of antiHTLV-1 antibodies in the Boni, an ethnic group of African origin isolated in French Guiana since the 18th century].

Antibodies to HTLV-1 (ELISA test using disrupted virus) were studied in different ethnic groups in French Guiana, including 135 blood donors from Cayenne, 97 Boni Blacks and 57 Wayana Indians from Maripasoula area, and 57 Hmong from Cacao village. We observed significant differences between Boni Blacks and Wayana Indians, having respectively 10.3% versus 0% of high antibody titers. The Hmong, recent refugees from Kampuchea, exhibited an intermediate level (3.5%) of infection. These results favour an African origin of HTLV-1 and raise, for the Hmong, the question of an infection acquired in Guiana.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Hepatopathies associated with chronic carriage of HBs antigen in black African immigrants in France].

The authors report two studies : 1) Retrospective : study of liver biopsies in 44 Africans : 22 were HBs Ag positive and 22 HBs Ag negative ; 10 of the HBs Ag positive subjects were found to have chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 4 chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and 3 cirrhosis ; 2 of the HBs Ag negative subjects were found to have CPH and 3 CAH ; as far a biological findings are concerned, only the CAH and cirrhosis groups differed from the control group, with higher prothrombin times, transaminase levels and gammaglobulin levels. 2) Prospective : study of the incidence of HBs Ag carriage in 168 Africans ; 17.8 % of them were found to be carriers ; no correlation was found between HBs Ag carriage and S. haematobium schistosomiasis or hemoglobinopathies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Search for HHV-8 associated diseases reservoir and spread paths of HHV-8 in Russia].

Summarized in the paper are study results of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) and of its association with Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). The data obtained denotes that the share of individuals producing the antibodies to HHV-8 in a majority of studied patients was low and ranged form 0 to 5.5%, which is indicative of a low degree of the virus spread in population. At the same time, a high share of persons with antibodies to HHV-8 was detected among HIV-infected homosexuals (71.4%), kidney recipients (26.0%) and among AIDS-KS patients (78.6%). It was also unexpectedly high among patients with T- and B-cell lymphomas (50%), encephalopathy (27.3%) and with stomach cancer (41.8%): the appropriate parameters were 7-12-fold higher versus healthy subjects. The HHV-8 markers, i.e. virus specific antibodies and/or nucleotide sequences of the virus, were detected in blood serum and ejaculate of a significant number of patients with different pathologies of the prostate. Such detection of viral markers in the above categories of patients is suggestive of that sexual contacts with such patients are decisive for the HHV-8 spread in population.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated immunity in patients with sickle cell anaemia.

Homozygous sickle cell disease patients have an increased risk of developing severe infections, probably because of impaired immunity. Cellular immunity was studied in thirty-two patients with S homozygous haemoglobin (SS) and compared to 32 A homozygous haemoglobin (AA) healthy subjects. A leukocytosis was observed but with a significant diminution of T4 and T8 proportions in sickle cell patients. B lymphocytes, concanavalin A, phytohaemagglutinin, and phorbol myristate acetate-induced lymphocyte proliferation were not different between the two groups except for enhanced pokeweed mitogen stimulation in SS patients. In contrast, addition of autologous sera to mitogen-induced cultures resulted in a potentiation of lymphocyte proliferation significantly greater in patients with S homozygous haemoglobin when compared to subjects with A homozygous haemoglobin. This highly amplified mitogen-induced response of lymphocytes by SS autologous sera, when compared to AA autologous sera, was not observed when these sera were added to lymphocytes obtained from an allogenic healthy individual. In vivo interleukin 2 production and natural killer activity were not different between SS and AA individuals. We conclude that there are functional abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity in patients with sickle cell anaemia and the SS lymphocyte activation by autologous sera was probably due to infectious and drepanocytic antigenic determinants contained in SS serum.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Molecular characterization of HTLV-II from an intravenous drug addict with AIDS in Argentina].

Ten intravenous drug user AIDS patients were studied to determine the presence of HTLV-I/II infection. Sera were screened by particle agglutination test and by an in house indirect immunofluorescence assay using MT2 (HTLV-I) and C19 (HTLV-II) producing cell lines. Out of the ten sera, one was confirmed HTLV-II positive by Western blot. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from this patient, separated through a Ficoll-Hypaque gradient and DNA was extracted and amplified by semi-nested PCR. The amplified product obtained was cloned and sequenced. Results demonstrated the presence of HTLV-II proviral DNA and comparison of the obtained sequence with different HTLV-II prototypes led to classify the virus into subtype a. This is the first molecular characterization of HTLV-II in an intravenous drug user in Argentina.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Human herpesvirus 8 and associated diseases: Kaposi's sarcoma, body cavity based lymphoma and multicentric Castleman disease: clinical and molecular epidemiology].

A new human virus belonging to the herpesvirinae family was recently isolated and characterized. This virus called human herpesvirus 8 is considered as the etiological agent or as a major cofactor of all the clinical forms (HIV associated or not) of Kaposi's sarcoma. HHV8 is also associated with rare B cell lymphomas called body cavity based lymphoma (BCBL) or Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) occurring in the body cavities mainly in AIDS patients and of some cases of the multicentric form of Castleman's disease. Only preliminary data are available on the epidemiological characteristics (modes of transmission in endemic regions, geographical distribution ...) of the HHV8 infection but should rapidly beneficiate of the establishment of specific and reliable serological tests. Nevertheless, it appears that the HHV8 seroprevalence is very high (15 to 50%) in the adult general population of areas having a high incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma as some east african countries and at a lesser extend as some mediterranean areas as southern Italy or Greece. In the occidental world, the seroprevalence of HHV8 seems very low (0 to 5% in the blood donors) except in some populations at risk for sexually transmitted diseases especially in the homosexual male group. Preliminary data indicate the existence of a low genetic variability of HHV8 in several regions of its genome, with however the presence of molecular subtypes linked possibly to the geographical origin of the infected patients.

Castleman Disease↗