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Biomedical subjects

B Larouze

Publications and source records attributed to B Larouze.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Echotomographic and serological population-based study of hydatidosis in central Tunisia.

A population-based echotomographic (ECT) and serological survey of hydatidosis was carried out in a high risk community located in Central Tunisia. 1434 subjects over 5 years of age (93.3% of the population in this age range) underwent an abdominal echotomography (ECT) and a serological test (ELISA with confirmation by counterelectrophoresis). The ECT prevalence rate was 3.5% and increased with age reaching 7.7% in the over 39 years age group. Most subjects (96.0%) had liver cyst(s). The serological prevalence rate was 2.9%. A strong agreement was found between ECT and serological results (Kappa test = 0.449). Taking ECT as a reference, the relative specificity and sensitivity of serology were 99.3 and 62.0 respectively. Most ECT positive seronegative subjects had calcified cysts. These results confirm the presence of highly endemic foci of hydatidosis in Central Tunisia, show a good agreement between serological and ECT results at a population level and demonstrate the high feasibility of ECT as a screening technique.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Prevention strategy of hepatitis B virus infection among the Ethiopian community in Israel.

Between 1980 and 1985, over 16,000 immigrants from Ethiopia, a population at high risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, arrived in Israel. The present study was designed to provide epidemiological information necessary for developing prevention strategies against HBV infection. Among the 144 subjects studied in an absorption center in Israel, only 32% had no detectable HBV markers and were therefore susceptible to infection. The prevalence rate of HBsAg was 19% compared with 42% for anti-HBs and 7.6% for anti-HBc alone. The percentage of subjects with no HBV marker decreased sharply with age, and there was similarly an age-linked increase in anti-HBs, indicating the importance of horizontal transmission in HBV infection. The distribution of HBV markers was similar in both sexes. Evidence of mild liver disease was found in only three subjects. All newborns and new arrivals less than 2 years of age in the Ethiopian community are vaccinated against HBV infection to prevent vertical and early horizontal transmission. The data obtained in our study suggest that this means of prevention of HBV infection is insufficient. We suggest that the vaccination of all children aged 2-7 without prevaccination screening, and the vaccination of children aged 8-18 found to be susceptible on anti-HBc screening, would substantially lower HBV transmission in this community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Host responses to hepatitis-B infection in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma and their families. A case/control study in Senegal, West Africa.

A case/control study of patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (P.H.C.) and their families was carried out in Dakar, Senegal. 28 P.H.C. cases were matched by age,sex, and ethnic group with 28 controls. Serum was collected from cases, controls, parents (28 mothers, 27 fathers) of cases, parents of controls, 71 siblings of cases, and 58 siblings of controls. Assays of their sera for hepatitis-B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs) and antibody to hepatitis-B core antigen (anti-HBc) produced the following results. (1) Nearly all P.H.C. cases (97%) and controls (93%) had some evidence of infection with hepatitis-B virus (H.B.V.), but the cases were more likely to be anti-HBc(+) and less likely to be anti-HBs(+) than the controls. (2) Most of the mothers of the cases were HBsAg(+) (71%), whereas only 14% of the mothers of controls were HBsAg(+). Lover titres of anti-HBs were less common in the mothers of the cases. (3) None of 27 fathers of cases had detectable anti-HBs, but 13 (48%) of the fathers of controls were anti-HBs(+). (4) Siblings of the P.H.C. cases were more likely to have anti-HBs than either their sibs with P.H.C. or the sibs of the controls. However, sibs of P.H.C. cases had lower titres of anti-HBs than the sibs of the controls. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the P.H.C. cases were infected with H.B.V. by their mothers and that there was an environmental factor which affected the immunological response of all family members to H.B.V. Infection with H.B.V. and the mode of response to that infection among members of families appear to be major factors in the aetiology of P.H.C. in West Africa.

Adult↗