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Biomedical subjects

M C Rousseau

Publications and source records attributed to M C Rousseau.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Association between pulmonary and digestive infections in patients receiving gastric acid-lowering medications for a long duration.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the frequency of pulmonary and digestive infections in a population of disabilitated patients receiving gastric acid-lowering medications for a long duration. METHODS: Cases underwent gastric acid-lowering medications for at least 4 years and controls were matched on type of handicap, aetiologies of handicap, sex and age and didn't receive gastric acid-lowering medications. For each patient, the following data were collected: age, sex, aetiology of disabilitation, type of gastric acid-lowering medications (histamine receptor H2 antagonists or proton pump inhibitors), occurrence of gastric or oesophageal pathology, nasogastric tube or gastrostomy device, motor handicap, number of digestive infections and number of pulmonary infections during the last 5 years. RESULTS: Total rate of infections was significantly more frequent in patients receiving gastric acid lowering medications than in patients who did not receive gastric acid-lowering medications (p = 0.035). Pulmonary infections were significantly more frequent in patients receiving gastric acid-lowering medications than in those who did not receive gastric acid-lowering medications (p < 0.05). The rate of digestive infections was not influenced by acid-suppressive treatments. CONCLUSION: Oesophagitis may lead to complications and requires gastric acid-lowering medications; in fact these drugs promote bacterial development and subsequently increase the risk of pulmonary infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Cervical coinfection with human papillomavirus (HPV) types as a predictor of acquisition and persistence of HPV infection.

Interest in coinfection with multiple types of human papillomavirus (HPV) has increased in response to the possibility of vaccination and the discovery that the host immune response appears to be mainly type specific. This study attempts to document the occurrence of coinfection with multiple HPV types and to determine whether these coinfections predicted acquisition or persistence of other HPV types in a prospective cohort of women in Brazil. Multiple HPV types were detected at the same visit in one-fifth of all women who tested positive for HPV at any time. Acquisition of an HPV infection was more likely among women with any HPV type detected on study entry. Persistence of HPV infection, the true precursor of cervical abnormalities, was independent of coinfection with other HPV types. Given the increasing prominence of HPV vaccination as a potential preventive approach, it is imperative that additional insights on cross-type protection be obtained from longer-term longitudinal investigations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Impacts of solar ultraviolet-B radiation on terrestrial ecosystems of Tierra del Fuego (southern Argentina). An overview of recent progress.

The southern part of Tierra del Fuego, in the southernmost tip of South America, is covered by dense Nothofagus spp. forests and Sphagnum-dominated peat bogs, which are subjected to the influence of ozone depletion and to increased levels of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B). Over the last 5 years we have studied some of the biological impacts of solar UV-B on natural ecosystems of this region. We have addressed two general problems: (i) do the fluctuations in UV-B levels under the influence of the Antarctic ozone 'hole' have any measurable biological impact, and (ii) what are the long-term effects of solar (ambient) UV-B on the Tierra del Fuego ecosystems? In this paper, we provide an overview of the progress made during the first 4 years of the project. We highlight and discuss the following results: (1) ambient UV-B has subtle but significant inhibitory effects on the growth of herbaceous and graminoid species of this region (growth reduction < or = 12%), whereas no consistent inhibitory effects could be detected in woody perennials; (2) in the species investigated in greatest detail, Gunnera magellanica, the inhibitory effect of solar UV-B is accompanied by increased levels of DNA damage in leaf tissue, and the DNA damage density in the early spring is clearly correlated with the dose of weighted UV-B measured at ground level; (3) the herbaceous species investigated thus far show little or no acclimation responses to ambient UV-B such as increased sunscreen levels and DNA repair capacity; and (4) ambient UV-B has significant effects on heterotrophic organisms, included marked inhibitory effects on insect herbivory. The results from the experiments summarized in this review clearly indicate that UV-B influences several potentially important processes and ecological interactions in the terrestrial ecosystems of Tierra del Fuego.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Risk factors for deep venous thrombosis in tetraparesic mentally retarded patients.

OBJECTIVES: The risk factors and incidence of deep venous thrombosis were studied in a population of para- and tetraparesic patients institutionalized for long durations. METHODS: Retrospectively, the antecedents and risk factors of deep venous thrombosis were collected for each patient. RESULTS: Data were available for 57 patients. The mean duration of hospitalization was 18 years. None of the patients presented thromboembolic pathology. Ninety-three per cent of the patients were spastic tetraparesic, 7% were spastic paraparesic. Sixty per cent of the patients presented added risk factors, mostly orthopaedic surgery, bone fractures and hormonal treatments. CONCLUSION: Spasticity probably plays a role in preventing deep venous thrombosis in paralysed patients, but it does not fully explain the absence of deep venous thrombosis in this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Influence of highly active antiretroviral therapy on micronutrient profiles in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess micronutrient variations in HIV/AIDS patients before and after HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). METHODS: We evaluated the nutritional status and micronutrients in 44 patients over 3 years. The first nutritional evaluation was conducted in 1995 before HAART, the second was conducted in 1998 when most patients received HAART. RESULTS: Thirty-four (77%) of the patients were intravenous drug users. In 1995, 35 (80%) were receiving antiretroviral therapy, but none had a protease inhibitor. A comparison made between patients in the group with CD4 <250/mm(3) (group A) and patients in the group with CD4 >250/mm(3)(group B) revealed significantly lower levels of plasma selenium concentrations (p < 0.05). In group A women, zinc was significantly lower than in men of the same group (p < 0.05). On the contrary, selenium plasma concentrations were significantly lower in group A men than in group A women (p < 0.05). No significant differences were noted for other micronutrients. In 1998, when most patients were treated with HAART, differences between the two groups were no more significant, neither for selenium nor for zinc matched with sex. Micronutrient values did not significantly differ between patients with viral load below 5,000 copies/ml and patients with viral load above 5,000 copies/ml. Patients treated with HAART had practically no weight loss. Although patients who did not receive HAART had a good immune status, the mean weight loss was up to 4.6 kg. CONCLUSIONS: Selenium and zinc deficiencies are dependent on immune status and sex in HIV/AIDS patients. Other micronutrients do not seem to be influenced by the immune status in these patients. HAART reduces selenium and zinc deficiencies and may help avoid weight loss independently of the CD4 cell count.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

A cumulative case-control study of risk factor profiles for oncogenic and nononcogenic cervical human papillomavirus infections.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) play an essential role in the etiology of cervical cancer, but besides an established role for sexual transmission, little is known about other risk factors for HPV infection. Risk factors for nononcogenic, oncogenic, and HPV 16 cervical infections were investigated using a cumulative case-control approach nested in an ongoing cohort study of low income women from São Paulo, Brazil. HPV DNA was detected and typed by the MY09/11 PCR protocol. Risk factor information was obtained via interviews. In a case-control analysis, we compared women who harbored infections with exclusively nononcogenic types (n = 123), exclusively oncogenic types (n = 94), and any HPV 16 (n = 60) to women remaining HPV-negative (n = 512) throughout 1 year of follow-up. A strong negative association was found between age and oncogenic infections, but not with nononcogenic infections. Oral contraceptive use was strongly and exclusively associated with oncogenic and HPV 16 infections. Markers of sexual activity were associated with all types of infections, although with varying strengths. Our results suggest some important differences in the epidemiological correlates of HPV infection according to oncogenicity that may have implications for the-planning of specific preventive strategies aiming at reduction of cervical cancer risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

[Neurocysticercosis in the South-East of France 1988-1998].

OBJECTIVE: Neurocysticercosis is commonly observed in developing countries but can also occur in industrialized countries. The aim of this work was to analyze diagnostic and therapeutic data on cases of neurocysticercosis diagnosed in southeastern France over the last 10 years. METHODS: We collected data from patient files and compared them with those reported in the literature. RESULTS: We collected 29 cases of neurocysticercosis diagnosed in southeastern France between 1988 and 1999. None of the patients had acquired the disease in France. Seizures were the most common inaugural sign. Four patients had skin lesions and very few had radiologically identifiable muscle calcifications. CT scan and MRI provided the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis and contributed to follow-up. Brain imaging showed cyst formation and calcifications. Cysticercosis serology was positive in only 52% of our patients. Antiparasite treatments with albendazole provided improvement in most patients although aggravation was observed in 4 despite a well-conducted regimen. There was one death. CONCLUSION: Neurological manifestations, particularly seizures, in a patient returning from an endemic zone should prompt search for neurocysticercosis with brain CT and MRI. Regression of clinical and radiological signs with treatment confirms the diagnosis.

Female↗
PubMed1999

Vaccination and HIV: a review of the literature.

People with HIV are at risk for a variety of infections both at home and abroad. Recent studies have reported conflicting data concerning potential harmful effects following several inactivated vaccines. Antigenic stimulation by vaccines designed to prevent secondary infections may promote HIV-1 replication in certain patients. In HIV-positive subjects, immune response worsens with progression of the HIV infection. When vaccination is considered, administration of the vaccine must be performed as early as possible in the course of HIV infection because an HIV-infected patient's response to inactivated vaccines is closely related to HIV infection stage. A minority of subjects have a protective antibody response to vaccination. Consequently, specific antibody titers should be measured after vaccination to ensure immune protection. Immune response is improved by highly active antiretroviral therapy. Some live attenuated vaccines are considered as beneficial in some specific indications and if administered in the early stages of AIDS. However, viral load variations following administration of live attenuated vaccines have not been studied yet.

AIDS Vaccines↗
PubMed1999

Epidemiology of acquisition and clearance of cervical human papillomavirus infection in women from a high-risk area for cervical cancer.

Acquisition and clearance of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection were analyzed among 1425 low-income women attending a maternal and child health program in São Paulo, Brazil. Specimens collected every 4 months were tested by a polymerase chain reaction protocol (MY09/11). In all, 357 subjects were positive at least once. There were 1.3% new infections per month, with 38% cumulative positivity after 18 months. Of 177 positive subjects at enrollment, only 35% remained infected after 12 months. The monthly clearance rate was higher for nononcogenic types (12.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.6-15.4) than for oncogenic HPV infections (9.5%; 95% CI, 7.5-11.9). Median retention times were 8.1 months (95% CI, 7.8-8.3) for oncogenic types and 4.8 months (95% CI, 3.9-5.6) for nononcogenic HPV infections. The mean infection durations were 8.2 and 13.5 months for nononcogenic and oncogenic types, respectively. Although a woman's age did not affect mean duration for oncogenic types (13-14 months), nononcogenic-type infections lasted longer (10. 2 months) among younger (<35 years old) than in older women (5.6 months).

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Spondylitis caused by Peptostreptococcus.

Peptostreptococcus is an anaerobic gram-positive coccus that is encountered in dental and sinus infections, pelvic infections in women, osteomyelitis, arthritis, skin and soft-tissues infections, conjunctivitis and bacteraemia [1,2]. We report here, what is to our knowledge, the first cases of spondylitis with discitis caused by Peptostreptococcus.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in southern France: four case reports and a review of the literature.

Infections due to choriomeningitis virus have been only infrequently reported in humans. Most cases have been diagnosed during laboratory outbreaks in the USA and Germany. In this report, we describe 4 cases of acute meningitis due to choriomeningitis virus occurring after close contact with domestic syrian hamsters. Although the disease is usually mild, some fatal cases have been described. The purpose of this report is to alert physicians to the possibility of lymphocytic choriomeningitis in patients who have had close contact with Syrian hamsters.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected orthopedic prostheses with ceftazidime-ciprofloxacin antibiotic combination.

Indwelling device infections are associated with considerable morbidity and extremely high cost. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequent gram-negative etiologic agent associated with infections of indwelling catheters and foreign body implants. It is generally agreed that eradication of infection in the presence of a foreign body requires removal of the foreign body. Using a combination of ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin, we cured nine of nine patients with P. aeruginosa-infected osteosynthetic material and four of five patients with hip and knee prostheses without removing the foreign material. Follow-up was for a mean of 21 months (range, 6 to 60 months). Some patients experienced minor side effects (arthralgia in one patient and rash in another patient). We conclude that this combination is effective and safe and should be useful in the treatment of P. aeruginosa-infected orthopedic implants.

Adult↗