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Biomedical subjects

J Ducos

Publications and source records attributed to J Ducos.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cytomegalovirus viremia in HIV-infected patients treated with zidovudine.

We followed the course of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viremia in 65 patients treated with zidovudine for symptomatic HIV-1 infection. Blood samples were tested for the presence of CMV before initiation of treatment and every 3 months thereafter. 13 patients (20%) showed a positive CMV viremia at initiation of treatment. After 3 months of therapy, only 2 patients (3%) remained viremic. However, the frequency of CMV viremia increased from the 6th month of treatment and 28 (43%) of our patients showed a persistence of, or conversion to, positive viremia during the course of treatment. CMV viremia was associated with a decline in the patients' clinical state in 79% of the cases. In contrast, among the 37 patients, who remained negative for CMV viremia, 73% did not show a progression of the HIV-associated disease. The results suggest that CMV viremia could be considered as a useful marker for HIV-associated disease and its progression as well as for the efficacy of therapy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Post-transfusional hepatitis].

Viral hepatitis has become a major complication of transfusion. Its frequency depends upon the number of blood units injected (packed cells, platelets, fresh frozen plasma), the origin of blood donors and the quality of controls performed after blood donation. Several reports estimate that this transmitted disease affects 2.3 to 26.5% of recipients (average: 10%). Among 100 cases of post-transfusion hepatitis, 10 are due to the hepatitis B virus (despite systematic search for HBs Ag), 89 are due to one of the non-A non-B viruses (not detectable by specific serological tests) and 1 to several viruses, specially CMV. The systematic exclusion of prospective blood donors with a hig level of aminotransferase (above twice the normal value) and/or with an anti-HBc antibody prevents the transmission of all hepatitis B and of two-thirds of non-A non-B hepatitis. About 5% of all blood donors are thus excluded. This practice has been made legal in France in October, 1988.

Hepatitis Antibodies↗

[Transfusion and transmission of infectious and parasitic diseases excluding AIDS and viral hepatitis].

Many viruses, bacteria or parasites can survive in stored blood for varying lengths of time. Recipients are therefore exposed to a risk which depends on the prevalence of pathogens in blood donor populations, the clinical and laboratory controls performed in blood transfusion centres and the efficiency of the patient's immune system. Beside the HIV and hepatitis viruses, transfusions may transmit the HTL virus in endemic areas or if the blood donor comes from one of these areas (e.g. the French West Indies), the CMV virus (but only in patients with weak immune defences) and some exotic viruses in specific regions. As regards bacterial agents, syphilis is prevented by blood storage at 4 degrees C for 72 hours and brucellosis remains a minor risk, but the very rare endotoxinic shock is severe and lethal in two-thirds of the cases. Infestation by parasites is common in certain areas, but it may occur in France after transfusion from blood donors coming from these areas; malaria transmitted by blood perfusion is a real problem. Drastic procedures of rejection of blood donors at risk, including examination and laboratory screening, must be applied and are effective in preventing these dangers. These procedures are well-known and are compulsory in France.

Cytomegalovirus Infections↗

Human monoclonal autoantibodies produced by hybridomas derived from lymphocytes of multiple sclerosis patients.

The aim of this study was to characterize autoantibodies produced in vitro by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of patients affected with multiple sclerosis (MS). We studied supernatants from man-mouse hybridomas established by fusion of PBL from 6 MS patients (group I) and from 13 individuals free of any neurological pathology (group II) with the mouse myeloma cell line P3X63 Ag8-653. They were screened for human IgG or IgM production by ELISA. Autoantibody activity against lymphocytes was studied by cell-binding ELISA. Anti-tissue reactivity was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on human cerebellum and peripheral nerve as well as on a panel of 8 non-nervous tissues. Additional ELISA tests were performed on 4 purified cellular antigens. Among 522 supernatants in group I, 13.7% contained Ig, mainly IgM, as compared to 25% among 1212 supernatants in group II; 8.3% in group I and 6.7% in group II contained anti-tissue autoantibodies. Antibodies against purified cellular antigens were found in 6% of the supernatants in group II versus 7% in group II. One human monoclonal anti-astrocyte antibody from group I was further studied. This IgM lambda (SAN-7) was particularly polyreactive and recognized glial fibrillar acid protein and other intermediate filaments, as well as tubulin and myosin. Moreover, cross-reactivity was observed with a hapten (TNP-BSA).

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

The transsynovial lymphocytic ratio. Characterization of blood and synovial fluid lymphocytes from patients with arthritic diseases.

Monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry techniques were used to analyze and compare the distribution of lymphocyte subpopulations of peripheral blood and synovial fluid (SF) from 70 patients, 43 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 10 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or reactive synovitis, 10 with psoriatic arthritis and 7 with other inflammatory arthritic diseases. Patients with RA had significantly reduced number of CD8+ T cells and greater CD4/CD8 ratios in peripheral blood, a greater number of CD4+ T cells and lower CD4/CD8 ratio in SF. No significant difference was found between the groups with AS, reactive synovitis and psoriatic arthritis. The simultaneous analysis of peripheral blood and SF lymphocyte subpopulations allowed us to establish a transsynovial lymphocytic ratio which reflects CD4/CD8 variations on both peripheral blood and SF, 2 easily accessible compartments for physicians. This new ratio may distinguish RA from other inflammatory arthritic diseases.

Arthritis↗

[Hepatitis B virus markers and lymphocyte populations in the asymptomatic multiple-drug addict].

The authors have studied in particular hepatitis B virus markers and the ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ cells in two subgroups of 52 deprived asymptomatic drug addicts. In the group 1 (deprived for 19 days on an average), 52% of the subjects showed a ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ less than 1, whereas in the group 2 (deprived for 30 months on an average), this percentage is only of 25%. HBV markers were present in 90% of the subjects in each group. We would like to point out the high frequency of the anti-HBc positivity without other markers in these two groups, respectively 20% in the group 1 and 32% in the group 2. These results emphasize the interest in screening systematically this marker in all blood donors.

Adolescent↗

HLA-A, B, C, DR antigens, Bf, C4 and glyoxalase I (GLO) polymorphisms in French Basques with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

The Basques were previously shown to present a high frequency of HLA-B18 and BfF1, which are known to be associated with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). During the VIII International Histocompatibility Workshop, we studied HLA-A, B, C, DR; Bf, C4 and GLO.I polymorphisms in 51 unrelated French Basque IDDM patients and in 50 controls. Haplotypes were established by family studies in all controls and some patients. Two haplotypes were frequently found in the controls: HLA-A1, Bw57, BfS, C4 F1S, DR7 and HLA-Aw30, Cw5, B18, Bf F1, C4Fs degree, DR3. The first one was not found in the patients. All the components of the second haplotype had increased frequencies possibly as a consequence of linkage disequilibrium with HLA-DR3: a highly significant association between IDDM and HLA-DR3 was observed (90.2% vs 24.0%, relative risk (RR) = 29.1, P less than 10(-11)). The HLA-DR4 frequency was slightly increased (37.3% vs 16.0%), and HLA-DR2 was not found. The silent allele C4s degree was particularly associated with early diagnosed IDDM (86.7% in patients with age at onset under 20 years vs 57.1% in other patients, P less than 0.02). The high relative risk for HLA-DR3/DR4 heterozygous vs that of individuals, possibly HLA-DR3 homozygous, supported the hypothesis that two HLA-DR linked genetic factors could be involved in the inheritance of IDDM susceptibility.

Adult↗

Spontaneous mouse erythrocyte-rosette formation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Mouse erythrocyte-rosette-forming cells (MRFC) were determined in 76 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), 19 cases of centroblastic-centrocytic follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), five cases of hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) and in 62 control patients. The mean percentage of MRFC in B-CLL was 54.8% +/- 24.4%, in nodular centro-follicular NHL 2.3% +/- 3%, in hairy cell leukaemia 14.6% +/-14.7% and among the controls 3.2% +/- 1.9%. Thus, MRFC appear to be an excellent marker of B-CLL and sometimes the only B cell marker as in 11 cases of SIg negative CLL. There is no correlation between the percentage of MRFC and clinical staging according to Rai classification whereas patients with stage 2 in Binet's classification (isolated splenomegaly) have a significantly lower MRFC percentage (23.4% +/- 27.7%; P less than 0.05). There is no correlation with prognosis, nor with serum Ig levels. We found no correlation with surface phenotype IgM, IgM-IgD or IgG. Thus, this study does not confirm the hypothesis that MRFC might characterize and immature stage in the B lymphocyte differentiation. However, these results are consistent with another hypothesis which states that lymphocytes in CLL possibly originate from a clonal expansion of a normal B lymphocyte subset, characterized by a low concentration of SIg and a receptor for mouse erythrocytes.

Animals↗

Genetic linkage between Bf S0.7 (Bf S1) and HLA-Bw50.

Two hundred and one unrelated French Basque individuals were studied for HLA-A, B, C, DR and Bf polymorphisms. The results show that the Bf S0.7 (Bf S1) variant, which is known to be associated with HLA-Bw21, presents a highly significant linkage disequilibrium with a subtypic specificity, i.e., Bw50 (delta = 0.0123, delta S=100%, P less than 10(-8)). As neither Bf S0.7 variant nor Bw50 antigen is found in Mongoloid populations, it is suggested that in evolutionary terms, the Bf S0.7 mutation is a more recent event than the HLA-Bw21 split.

Alleles↗