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Biomedical subjects

M Aguercif

Publications and source records attributed to M Aguercif.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Management of beta-thalassemias in a developing country. Experience of a pediatric service in Oran (Algeria)].

The management of beta-thalassemia in a developing country faces a host of organizational, logistic, and funding problems. Experience acquired against this background of multiple deficiencies is reported here. Only 60% of children with documented beta-thalassemia were monitored more or less regularly. The remaining 40% died or were lost to follow-up. Clinical results were acceptable in terms of growth but transfusion goals (pretransfusion Hb greater than or equal to 10 g/dl) were achieved in only 7% of cases and adverse effects to transfusions proved difficult to prevent. Lastly, funding remained grossly inadequate since only 5.4% of actual costs in drugs and small equipment were covered. This lack of funds has a major impact on decision-making concerning the care of this type of patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Genetic factors involved in human G gamma and A gamma globin gene expression.

G gamma to A gamma globin ratios, haplotypes at the beta globin gene cluster and the C----T substitution at -158 5' to the G gamma globin gene were studied in three Algerian families that include SS or S-beta(0) thal patients. G gamma to A gamma ratios were found similar, within a family, in subjects displaying the same combination of chromosomes 11, the ratio observed for a given combination depending on the chromosome haplotypes. Our data can be explained by the existence of several alleles of a genetic factor closely linked to the beta globin gene cluster and involved in the determination of G gamma to A gamma globin ratio.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗
PubMed1988

[Pediatric cancerology in Algeria. Current status and perspectives].

Pediatric oncohematology represents 40% of our daily activity. Its management is analyzed and conditions of its development discussed. In underdeveloped countries, financial, human and management health resources are severely limited. Far less than 8.5% of national product (estimated necessary for a health service to meet population requirements) are spent in Algeria. Then rationing health services is implicit and eventually left to physicians. Limited access to hospitals is more drastic to children than to adults. Paediatricians have therefore to manage their activity to get best value for money spent on health care, training and research.

Algeria↗
PubMed1986

[Familial type of hypophyseal nanism. Apropos of 7 families in western Algeria].

Eighteen pituitary dwarfs belonging to 7 different West Algerian families were studied. Eleven patients from 4 families presented isolated growth hormone deficiency, 7 patients from 3 families had multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies. Serum GH levels before and after standard pharmacological stimulations were below 2 ng/ml in all cases. Three of 10 hGH treated patients increased significantly their growth rate (8.5 +/- 0.5 cm/year) during the first year of treatment; growth was moderate (5.3 +/- 0.8 cm/year) in 3 patients and poor (4.5 cm/year) in 2 patients. In 2 cases the follow-up is insufficient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Medical transfers in pediatric oncology. Reflections apropos of economic, technical and ethical problems (Oran 1977-1983)].

In an underdeveloped country such as Algeria [20 million inhabitants, 2,140 US Dollars per capita gross national product (GNP)], satisfying a high level of health demand is difficult both in primary care and hospital. Limited facilities (hospital beds 2.3%; physicians 1:2,500; public health expenditure: 2% of GNP) combined with demographic pressure (population under 15 years of age: 47%) further compromise medical benefits. Qualitatively severe diseases such as pediatric cancers cannot be wholly managed locally. Thus administrative regulations permit sending patients with such situations abroad. We tested the feasibility of managing locally to a great extent (radiotherapy excepted) pediatric cancers. For leukemias and lymphomas, actuarial life expectancies corresponded to middle values of internationally published data. Cost-benefit estimations seemed good compared with other severe diseases managed both locally and abroad. Our present problem deals with balancing oncologic activity (more than 100 new cases a year) within a general pediatric department practice.

Algeria↗
PubMed1985

[Burkitt's lymphoma-Epstein-Barr virus association in western Algeria. Clinical, cytological and serological aspects apropos of 34 pediatric cases].

Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) and naso-pharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are tumors generally believed to be associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Algerian population could be considered at high risk for BL-EBV association. In a series of 34 BL patients observed by us between 1982 and 1984 characteristics were: 70% of children were under 5 years age, abdominal location in 90% of cases (n = 30), 13% only isolated, massive tumor burden (70% stage III after Murphy, 30% stage IV after Murphy and Duque-Hammershaimb), EBV serology titers above or equal to 640 in 60% of cases (anti-EBNA and anti-VCA) and 50% (anti-EA) respectively, presence of EBNA antigen in tumor cells found in 63% of cases, no complete correlation between serology positivity and EBNA presence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[Association of severe intestinal villous atrophy and abdominal non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Apropos of 3 cases].

Malignant lymphoma is a recognized late complication of adult celiac disease. In children, however, the association of lymphoma with celiac disease was so far identified only in one case of an Algerian girl in 1981. We have observed during the last 5 years 78 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 56% located in the abdomen. In three of these cases, the association of intestinal epithelial atrophy and non-Hodgkin abdominal lymphoma was observed and is reported in this paper.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1984

[Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Evaluation of risk factors and results of treatment in a pediatric milieu].

Rapid progress in acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment in childhood has allowed five years survival rates at least for 50% vs 30% of standard risk (60-70%) and high risk (30-40%) patients. Analyzing our material from University Hospital Pediatric Department (Oran, Algeria) was leading to such conclusions as: First: excess of higher risk acute lymphoblastic leukemias; Second: excess of bad prognosis enzymatic/cytologic markers; Third: post therapeutic 5 years survival probability compares with lowest figures found in literature. Bearing in mind higher risk clinical material and poorer resources of hospital facilities, medical manpower and nursing in such an underdeveloped country as Algeria, therapeutic results seemed reasonably promising.

Algeria↗
PubMed1982

Composition, cross-linking and thermal stability of bone and skin collagens in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta.

The composition, cross-linking, and thermal stability of the collagens were determined in bone and skin biopsies from 4 patients with moderate to severe forms of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The major modification observed with respect to control subjects was an overhydroxylation of lysine in type I bone collagen (hydroxylysine content doubled in three patients and increased by 50% in the last patient). This overhydroxylation is confirmed by a similar increase in the dihydroxylated cross-link of bone collagen: the dehydrodihydroxylysinonorleucine. The type II collagen from cartilage and the pepsin-soluble collagens from the skin of these patients contained the normal amount of hydroxylysine. A small amount of type III collagen has been found in three patients, while only in one patient a slight increase in the type III/type I collagen ratio was observed in skin. In all patients the thermal stability of the collagen triple helix, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, was normal in both bone and skin. Although in at least three patients the clinical features allowed us to classify our patients into two different groups (Sillence et al., 1979 classification--groups I and III), the biochemical results are similar, suggesting that the overhydroxylation of the lysine in type I bone collagen is a common feature of severe forms of osteogenesis imperfecta.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

[A molecular abnormality of the erythrocyte membrane in beta-thalassemia].

We present a new abnormality of the red cell membrane observed in the course of a study on beta-thalassemia. In a child suffering from a beta 0-thalassemia major, the neutral membrane bound phosphatase, instead of having Michaelis-Menten kinetics, displayed a biphasic kinetics consistent with inhibition by substrate excess. This abnormality is discussed along with other erythrocyte membrane alterations that are known to occur in beta-thalassemia.

Child↗