Usefulness of urinary glycosaminoglycans assay for a mucopolysaccharidosis-specific screening.

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a group of inherited metabolic disorders characterized by the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans, can be diagnosed early through newborn screening programs. Establishing newborn screening in Morocco is a challenging task for multiple economic and social reasons. Screening in a Moroccan population using 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue urinary glycosaminoglycan (GAG) assays may allow for an earlier diagnosis of MPS. We studied the feasibility of implementing screening in Moroccan children as an alternative to national newborn screening. We determined the reference ranges for GAGs in the Moroccan population, their stability during transport, the effectiveness of this test as a screening procedure for MPS in patients, and its use as a screening test for MPS in the Imssouane region, where the rate of consanguineous marriage is 38%. METHODS: Using dimethylmethylene blue assays, urine samples of 47 MPS patients were analyzed, together with urine samples from healthy controls (n = 368, age ranging from 1 month to 25 years), and from Imssouane region children (n = 350, age ranging from 6 months to 24 month). Precision, linearity, recovery, limits, and stability were tested. RESULTS: Urinary GAGs reference values are age and ethnicity dependent. The validation parameters established displayed great precision and accuracy leading to recoveries according to internationally accepted values for bioanalytical methods. Urinary GAGs were stable for a maximum of 7 weeks at 40 °C. Screening of Imssouane children resulted in the detection of a 6-month-old child, diagnosed with MPS I. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the usefulness of quantifying glycosaminoglycans for early screening of MPS.

Lifestyle and Sociodemographic and Economic Characteristics of Patients with Lung Cancer in Morocco.

Background: Lifestyle maintenance is a crucial condition before and after lung cancer disease. According to the previous research in the scientific databases, the effect of the interaction between socioeconomic and demographic factors on the lifestyle of lung cancer patients in Southern Morocco regions remains unexamined. Accordingly, this study was designed to examine the relationship between socioeconomic factors, demographic factors, and the lifestyle of lung cancer patients. Methods: A total of 133 patients with lung cancer were divided into 103 men and 30 women with a sex ratio of 3.43 and ages varying between 28 and 82 years, and they served as informants for the study and filled in a questionnaire to provide information on their sociodemographic background, various economic characteristics, and their lifestyle. These patients have also been submitted to an anthropometric examination following the standardized procedure recommended by the World Health Organization. The survey was conducted from July 2013 to March 2015 at the Oncology and Radiotherapy Department, at Mohammed VI Hospital Center in Marrakech, Morocco. Results: The preliminary results showed that the average age of patients was 59 ± 9 years. A proportion of 81% lived in the Marrakech-Safi region and 19% lived in four other southern regions. Among the patients, 6% were smokers, while 14% were nonsmokers and 80% were ex smokers. Following the discovery of the disease, 26% revealed that they had sleep disorders and 98% were reported to have a lack of appetite. Obesity, normal weight, and underweight were also taken as criteria to categorize the patients; thus, obese informants represented 23% of the total number, those having normal weight reached 67% and the patients having underweight represented 10%. Conclusion: Sociodemographic variables and various economic characteristics were shown to have a negative impact on the lifestyle of lung cancer patients.