[Treatment with F(ab')2(Viperfav) for viper envenomation].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Guez.
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BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium marinum has been recognized for some forty years. It generally occurs after trauma in a patient who manipulates tropical fish living in an aquarium. CASE REPORT: We report the case of an exotic fish seller who developed M. marinum nodular lymphangitis after being bitten by one of the fish. DISCUSSION: Nodular lesions occurring after trauma in subjects living in France who are in contact with exotic fish suggest the diagnosis of M. marinum. Nodular lymphangitis is seen in about 50% of the cases. Prolonged antibiotic therapy is required. Several antibiotics are effective including minocycline used in our case for 2 months after complete healing of the wound. Surgery is exceptionally required.
BACKGROUND: The safety and efficacy of sublingual-swallow immunotherapy (SLIT) in rhinitis caused by house-dust mite were evaluated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study including 75 patients for 24 months. METHODS: Patients received either placebo or SLIT with a standardized Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (D.pt.) - D. farinae (D.f) 50/50 extract. The mean cumulative dose was 90,000 IR, equivalent to 2.2 mg of Der p 1 and 1.7 mg of Der f I. Symptom and medication scores were assessed throughout the study. Exposure to house-dust mite, skin sensitivity, and serum specific IgE and IgG4 were assessed before starting treatment and after 12 and 24 months. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients (36 active-36 placebo) were eligible for intent-to-treat analysis. Thirty-six patients dropped out of the study. The number of patients who dropped out due to lack of efficacy was eight out of 37 (21.6%) in the active treatment group compared to 15 out of 38 (39.5%) in the placebo group (chi-square=2.81, P=0.09). Total symptom and medication scores decreased significantly after 12 and 24 months (P<0.05) of treatment in both groups, but no significant difference was observed between the active and placebo groups. After 24 months, the number of patients with high levels of indoor allergenic load decreased significantly in both groups compared to baseline data (P=0.01). Specific IgE (D.pt. and D.f.) increased significantly in the active treatment group after 12 and 24 months, while no change was observed in the placebo group. Specific IgG4 levels were not significantly modified in either group. Two patients in each group reported mild adverse effects. No severe adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that SLIT in rhinitis caused by house-dust mite was safe, but there was a lack of consistent clinical benefit compared to placebo, probably due to the impact of the allergen avoidance measures that lowered the allergen burden.
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A 30-year-old woman developed progressive left sided hemiparesis with intracranial hypertension signs. CT scan and MRI showed a large temporo parietal cystic mass with marked surrounding edema. Surgical excision was performed, and histological analysis revealed an inflammatory granuloma. No disease elsewhere was found and all classical causes of granulomas such as tuberculosis, toxoplasma, fungus infections, inflammatory diseases, lymphomas and cancers were excluded. No treatment was administered and she remained neurologically stable for two years. Afterwards, she developed chronic meningo-encephalitis, hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction and hydrocephalus requiring decompression. Sarcoidosis was suspected, a steroid therapy was initiated, she gradually improved and a ventricular biopsy confirmed this diagnosis. Nervous system lesions complicate the course of sarcoidosis in 5 to 15% of patients and most commonly involve the cranial and peripheral nerves. CNS involvement is typically meningeal with a predilection for the hypothalamic region. Intracranial mass lesions are rare and their occurrence in the absence of disease elsewhere is still more unusual. Three presentations have been described: an isolated intra parenchymatous mass, multiples nodules, and subdural plaques, that can be mistaken for meningiomas, gliomas or metastases. When systemic manifestations of sarcoidosis are absent, the diagnosis is difficult, and Gd-enhanced MRI is now considered the diagnostic method of choice. However brain biopsy is sometimes necessary. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy. Immunosuppressive agents are also used and brain irradiation has been tried in some refractory cases. Surgical approach may be indicated to establish tissue diagnosis, to perform decompression and to remove brain tumors.
The combination of captopril and indomethacin has been shown to control nephrotic proteinuria in an infant with congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type. We report the satisfactory control of congenital nephrotic syndrome by enalapril, maintaining normal serum albumin levels without albumin infusions. The haplotype data of our patient were consistent with the diagnosis of a Finnish-type nephrotic syndrome. After 21 months, during which daily infusions of albumin allowed partial control of the symptoms, captopril treatment was started. No adverse effects were noted. Serum creatinine levels remained normal. Within 8 weeks, albumin infusions were completely stopped. After 1 month the treatment was changed to a single dose of enalapril (0.8 mg/kg per day). During the next 15 months, the serum protein concentration was maintained around 6.5-7 g/dl, although proteinuria persisted (0.3-0.5 g/day). Weight and length gain are now satisfactory. We conclude that enalapril may be safely used in infants with severe forms of congenital nephrotic syndrome and might allow the avoidance of aggressive treatments for prolonged periods.
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INTRODUCTION: Cadmium is a carcinogenic substance and bronchial and prostatic cancer may be readily identified as professional diseases. It is also a nephrotoxic substance but renal carcinoma are rarely imputed to this kind of intoxication. CASE REPORT: We report the observation of a 59-year-old woman with a long unprotected professional exposure to cadmium. She developed an epidermoid carcinoma of the kidney and later of the lung. Levels of cadmium in blood samples were abnormally high, confirming the existence of a chronic impregnation. CONCLUSION: We have judged cadmium to be responsible for her renal disease: the fact of a long unprotected professional exposure, the scarcity of renal epidermoid carcinoma, the well established nephrotoxicity of this substance and the association with other cancers, appear to us as convincing evidence, and the kidney cancer of our patient has been considered a professional disease.
OBJECTIVE: To determine: (i) the proportion of vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) associated with congenital renal damage and whether it can be severe enough to cause renal impairment from birth: (ii) to evaluate the distribution of males and females affected; and (iii) to describe the course of congenital damage in the first years of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 108 children (76 male and 32 female, M:F 2.3:1), whose VUR was diagnosed before any infection, were followed from birth for a mean (range) of 4.3 (1-10) years. Renal damage was defined by serum creatinine concentration, creatinine clearance and renal imaging (ultrasonography and renal scintigraphy) performed within the first month of life and periodically thereafter. RESULTS: Of the 108 children, 58 had bilateral and 50 unilateral reflux (total number of refluxing units, 166). High-grade VUR (grade > or = 4) was found in 96 (58%) refluxing renal units (RRUs). Males had a prevalence of bilateral severe (> or = grade 4) reflux (M:F 5.2:1), while in those wit unilateral VUR, the M:F ration was 1.5:1. At birth, mild to moderate damage was present in 56 (36%) RRUs and only associated with VUR of grade > or = 3. Bilateral reflux of grade > or = 4 was associated with congenital moderate/severe renal failure in nine neonates (seven males). In infants with grade > or = 4 VUR who underwent surgical correction, VUR resolved in 92% of cases. In infants with VUR of grade > or = 4 followed medically, the reflux spontaneously resolved in 42% and ameliorated in 16% after 18 months. Serial renal scans during the follow-up showed no progression of renal damage. CONCLUSIONS: VUR diagnosed at birth on prenatal ultrasonography is associated with congenital damage, with males affected more often than females. The damage involves both kidneys in a consistent proportion and is an important cause of chronic renal impairment from birth. It does not progress in the first years of life if infections are prevented. It is suggested that males with this condition may constitute a major group at risk of developing chronic renal failure in later life.
A 49-year-old woman presented with isolated aphasia followed by dementia and ataxia with a duration of 4 years. Histopathologically there was panencephalic involvement, status spongiosus, and kuru-type plaques. Molecular analysis showed heterozygosity at codon 129 in the prion protein (PrP) gene, and type 2 protease-resistant PrP. The comparison between this case and those previously reported suggests that the panencephalopathic variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an aspecific end-stage condition displayed by most if not all CJD variants in individual patients with an unusually prolonged course.
A cross sectional survey was set up to study the relation between the prevalence of allergic-type reactions during HIV infection course. For each patient, a standardized interview about recent allergic-type manifestations (RATM), skin prick-tests to six common airborne allergens, IgE serum level were done. Among the 115 included patients, the mean CD4 lymphocyte count (CD4) was 214.7/mm3 (range: 0-1328/mm3). RATM were found in 8.8% of patients with CD4 < 50, in 30% of patients with CD4 between 51 and 200, in 36% of patients with CD4 between 201 and 350 and in 11.5% of patients with CD4 < 350 (p = 0.03). The risk of presenting RATM was 4.8 times (95% confidence interval = 1.7-13.5) higher in patients with CD4 between 51 and 350 than in other patients (p = 0.003). The proportion of positive prick-tests did not significantly vary according to the level of CD4. The increased frequency of RATM in patients with CD4 between 51 and 350/mm3 could be due to an allergic predisposition acquired during the course of HIV infection. The mechanisms explaining the reduced frequency of allergic manifestations when immunodeficiency is profound (CD4 < 50/mm3) remain to be explained.
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A 52 year-old man was hospitalised for acute renal failure with thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia without oliguria. A haemolytic-uremic syndrome was diagnosed and prostacyclin infusion was started. Twenty-four hours later, the renal function improved as well as thrombocytopenia and anemia. Recovery occurred after 11 days of treatment. Haemolytic-uremic syndrome treatment is not well codified: plasmaphoresis, fresh frozen plasma, transfusions showed inconstant efficiency and data about prostacycline treatment are rare and often contradictory. Multicentric studies must be started in order to determine the precise benefit of this treatment.
Ten fetuses with hydronephrosis underwent one to seven urine sampling procedures at 23 to 36 weeks' gestation to evaluate renal function. Postnatally, the infants' renal function was assessed by a combination of serum creatinine measurement, ultrasonography and renal scintigraphy. Six infants had pyelo-ureteric junction obstruction, two had megabladder with megaureter, and two had vesico-ureteric reflux. All infants had normal serum creatinine levels at the time of postnatal follow-up, but five of the seven with unilateral involvement had moderate or severe renal damage. Abnormal urinary electrolyte concentrations were found antenatally in only two of them. For the three infants with bilateral hydronephrosis, postnatal evaluation showed moderately or severely damaged kidneys despite prenatal evidence of normal biochemical indexes. Fetal urine electrolyte measurement may be accurate in the diagnosis of renal dysplasia, but its sensitivity is poor in predicting moderate renal dysfunction.
Obstructive uropathy causes tubular resistance to aldosterone and severe metabolic imbalance may be precipitated by an episode of pyelonephritis. In the last 3 years we investigated 52 episodes of pyelonephritis (positive urine culture, elevated C reactive protein, fever, elevated neutrophil count) in 50 children between 15 days and 15 months of age. Ultrasonography voiding cystography and renal scintiscan were performed in all cases and i.v. urography in some. A salt-losing syndrome with hyponatremia and hyperkalemia (Na < 125 meq/liter; K > 6.3 meq/liter) was observed in 17 infants < 3 months, accompanied by plasma aldosterone concentration of 5000 to 23,000 pg/ml (normal value, < 1000 pg/ml). All these children had a severe urinary tract (UT) malformation (ureteropelvic junction stenosis in 7 cases, vesicoureteral reflux in 7, posterior urethral valves in 2, double system in 1). Thirteen infants < 3 months, 7 with no urinary tract malformations, did not have electrolyte imbalance. Pyelonephritis was diagnosed in 20 other patients ages 4 to 15 months, including 16 with severe UT malformations; 4 had normal UTs. We conclude that a salt-losing syndrome with tubular resistance to aldosterone can occur during pyelonephritis in young infants with congenital UT malformation, that the risk diminishes considerably or disappears after 3 months of age and that in the absence of UT malformation pyelonephritis does not cause acute sodium loss of clinical relevance.
The peritoneal equilibration test (PET) is routinely performed in adults treated with chronic peritoneal dialysis to assess the peritoneal transport rate and to optimize treatment prescription. Only a few and not well-standardized studies on the PET have been reported in children. Twenty-six PET's were performed in 16 children, mean age 10.9 +/- 4.9 years, mean body weight (BW) 26.8 +/- 11.9 kg, treated with nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis (NIPD). The PET was performed according to Twardowski. Forty mL/kg BW of 2.27% glucose solution were infused at a rate of 10 mL/kg BW every 2 minutes. In the simplified test, dialysate samples were taken at dwell times 0, 2 and 4 hours for glucose and creatinine. A blood sample was taken after a 2-hour dwell time for the same parameters. The standard PET (8 patients) consisted of dialysate samples at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 minutes and blood samples at 0 and 240 minutes. Mean D/P ratio for corrected creatinine and D/D0 ratio for glucose at 2 hours were 51.6 +/- 11.6 and 50.4 +/- 9, respectively; at 4 hours 69.6 +/- 12 and 34.4 +/- 9.8, respectively. There was good correlation between D/P creatinine and D/D0 glucose at 4 hours (p < 0.0001). Patients were classified as high (3 cases), high-average (5), low-average (6), and low (2) transporters. A statistically significant difference was found between the curves obtained by the simplified PET and those of the standard PET in the first hour (r = 0.66; p < 0.05). In conclusion, the PET, modified for use in children, gave reliable and reproducible results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)