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P Darmon

Publications and source records attributed to P Darmon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[The beginnings of vaccine diffusion in France (1800-1850)].

First factor of mortality at the eighteenth century, smallpox killed each year about 50.000 to 80.000 people in France and 25.000 to 30.000 in England. In 1796, Edward Jenner discovered the fabulous properties of the cowpox which, transplanted from cow to human, immunized against the disease. In France, between 1800 and 1850, a few hundreds of vaccinators took part in a significant crusade against smallpox. They went in the villages and the thatched cottages, fought against the routine, and, sometimes, against the hostility of the mayors or the priests. Moreover, the cow-pox often missed or lost its strength. Despite everything, their efforts were crowned success: during the nineteenth century, small-pox mortality drops by 90%.

France↗
PubMed1999

On the meaning of low-dose ACTH(1-24) tests to assess functionality of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

To analyse further the ACTH(1-24) low-dose test, which is of clinical interest, we have examined the dose-response relationship between plasma ACTH(1-24) and cortisol concentrations after i.v. administration of increasing doses (1, 5 or 250 microg) of ACTH(1-24) as a bolus. In addition, we have measured plasma ACTH(1-39) and cortisol levels after an insulin tolerance test (ITT). Although there was a dose response relationship between plasma ACTH(1-24) immunoreactivity and the dose injected, cortisol peaks were comparable, but lower than those reached after an ITT. Under these experimental conditions, an increase in plasma ACTH as low as 13 pmol/l (i.e. the increase obtained with the 1 microg dose) induced a near maximal cortisol response. Following injection of 1 microg ACTH(1-24), peak ACTH values were short lasting, similar to physiological daily bursts. After injection of 5 microg ACTH(1-24), plasma ACTH concentrations were higher than those reached during an ITT, but clearly shorter lasting. Injection of 250 microg ACTH(1-24) induced strikingly supraphysiological levels of plasma ACTH. We conclude that neither regular nor low-dose ACTH tests can fully reproduce the ITT. Our observations strongly suggest that the low-dose ACTH(1-24) test (1 microg) can be useful to estimate the adrenal sensitivity under basal, physiological conditions.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1998

Refinement of genetic localization of the Alström syndrome on chromosome 2p12-13 by linkage analysis in a North African family.

Alström syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by retinal pigment degeneration, neurogenic deafness, infantile obesity, hyperlipidemia, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. While the disease-related gene remains unknown, studies of the genetic isolate of French Acadians provisionally locate the Alström syndrome on chromosome 2p12-13 within a 14.9-cM interval. To confirm this finding in another ethnic population and refine the candidate region we investigated by linkage analysis a consanguineous family of North African origin, in which three of seven siblings displayed all major neurological and metabolic features of Alström syndrome. Genotyping was performed on an ABI377 DNA automatic sequencer and LOD scores were obtained with the Fastlink program. Five markers previously investigated in French Acadians confirmed the involvement of the candidate region, although pairwise LOD scores were of poor significance (Zmax = 2.9). To further confirm homogeneity and refine the candidate region, 20 additional markers were investigated. Haplotype analysis and allele segregation revealed that affected children shared a single haplotype and were homozygous for the eight most centromeric markers (D2S291-D2S2114), over a 6.1-cM interval. Significative multipoint LOD scores (Zmax = 3.96) were obtained between markers D2S2110/145 and D2S286. Two clusters of known genes are present in this refined region of chromosome 2p, the most attractive candidate being the hexokinase II gene. However, except for several known polymorphisms, no mutations were detected in the coding region of this gene. In conclusion, the location of Alström syndrome on chromosome 2p12-13 is confirmed, reducing the genetic interval to 6.1 cM.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1998

Diabetic mastopathy, complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus: report of two cases and a review of the literature.

The breast is not classically included among the organs damaged by diabetic complications. The first cases of breast lesions associated with Type 1 diabetes mellitus were only described in 1984. The disease, designated as diabetic or fibrous mastopathy, is benign but may clinically simulate breast carcinoma. Its frequency is difficult to evaluate, and its pathogenesis is not yet clearly understood. We report two cases of diabetic mastopathy, together with a review of the medical literature on this subject and a description of the main characteristics of the disease. Diagnosis is based on the clinical context (premenopausal women with longstanding Type 1 diabetes mellitus who develop a hard, painless, mobile lump on one or both breasts), radiology (dense glandular tissue on mammography and marked acoustical shadowing of sound waves on sonography), and histopathology (fibrosis and perivascular and periductal lymphocytic infiltration).

Adult↗