Barebacking and sexual health in the French setting: "NoKondom Zone" workshops.

Barebacking has been, since its emergence in the 1990s, a very controversial issue, and has as many definitions as authors writing about it. In France, sexual risk reduction strategies have been very contentious, and the advent of the bareback phenomenon increased this conflictual situation. This state of affairs has prevented the identification of needs and development of adequate programs for people not using condoms. In December 2008, a peer sexual health workshop, organized on a monthly basis and taking place over 1 year was launched and facilitated by a group of people who declared not using condoms (n approximate = 15). These workshops were hosted and organized by AIDES, the largest French HIV/AIDS community-based organization. The main objective was to create a safe place for exchanging about sexuality and health concerns. Most of the participants, who were mainly HIV positive, referred to being discriminated against in healthcare settings and in the gay community because of prevention policies and stereotypes about barebacking. This experience was extremely challenging for group members, for the facilitator and for the organisation. Main results show that taking part in the groups allowed participants to break their feelings of isolation, to discuss risk reduction strategies and, in some cases, to improve communication with medical staff. Besides, a political dimension related to implementing this kind of intervention was discussed. Participants declared that, in one way or another, they were more in need of this support than people not taking risks. Further interventions are needed in order to compare and contrast the present results.

Impact of restenosis after optimal directional coronary atherectomy on regional left ventricular function.

To assess the effect of optimal directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) on restenosis and left ventricular (LV) function, 95 patients who underwent DCA and adjunctive balloon angioplasty for de novo lesions were prospectively followed for 6 months. Absolute and relative coronary lumen measurements were analyzed with online quantitative coronary angiography. LV volumes, ejection fraction, and segmental wall motion were measured off-line according to the radial method for LV cineangiograms acquired in a right anterior oblique projection. Target vessels were the left anterior descending artery in 63 patients and right coronary artery in 32. Mean (+/- SD) reference diameter was 3.58 +/- 0.65 mm. Mean lumen diameter improved significantly after DCA from 1.19 +/- 0.44 to 3.03 +/- 0.45 mm, yielding a 14 +/- 10% residual stenosis. Overall angiographic restenosis rate (> 50% stenosis in diameter) at control was 23%. In patients without restenosis, there were no significant changes in LV volumes or in LV pressures. In this subgroup, ejection fraction improved significantly in the left anterior descending group (mean difference 3 +/- 10%, p < 0.04). Moreover, there was an increase in fractional shortening of all anterior segments (mean difference 11 +/- 16%, p < 0.005). Improvement in fractional shortening was less marked in the right coronary artery group even without restenosis. We conclude that: (1) optimal DCA can achieve a low restenosis rate in selected large vessels, (2) long-term beneficial effects on regional LV function are possible, particularly in patients with left anterior descending disease and in the absence of coronary restenosis.

Primary cardiac lymphoma in an immunocompetent woman.

We report a fatal primary cardiac non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a 62 years old immunocompetent woman presenting with tamponade and complete atrioventricular block. CT-scan, echocardiography and autopsy examination showed a tumor largely infiltrating the heart without extracardiac involvement. A surgical biopsy revealed high grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a misleading myelomonocytic CD68 (KPI) expression. Polymerase Chain Reaction analysis revealed a clonal rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene and confirmed the B-cell origin of the lymphoma. Our report also emphasizes the role of immunohistochemical and molecular techniques in the diagnosis.

[Predictive factors of coronary restenosis after optimal directional atherectomy. A multivariate analysis apropos of 102 patients]. / Facteurs prédictifs de la resténose coronaire après athérectomie directionnelle optimale. Analyse multivariée à propos de 102 patients.

The authors studied 102 patients prospectively who were undergoing coronary atherectomy optimised by balloon dilatation in order to assess the restenosis rate at 6 months. The coronary lesions were measured in a reproducible manner by quantitative angiography. The vessels dilated were the left anterior descending in 66 patients and the right coronary artery in 36 patients. The reference diameter was on average of 3.57 +/- 0.64 mm. Atherectomy increased the minimal diameter of the lesion of 1.20 +/- 0.44 to 3.01 +/- 0.44 mm giving a residual stenosis of 15 +/- 11%. At six months, 25% of patients had developed a restenosis (> 50% stenosis) with a residual lumen of 2.15 +/- 0.77 mm. The predictive factors of restenosis were the initial absolute gain, the length of the lesion, the reference diameter of the vessel and the presence of an endoluminal thrombus. In multivariate analysis, a small initial gain (p < 0.02) and length of stenosis (p < 0.02) were independently correlated with restenosis. The authors conclude: 1) that optimal atherectomy is associated with acceptable restenosis rates in selected vessels, 2) that short stenoses of large diameter arteries may be a privileged indication of the technique if the best results are obtained.

[Restenosis after optimal coronary atherectomy and influence on left ventricular function]. / Resténose après athérectomie coronaire optimale et influence sur la fonction du ventricule gauche.

The authors prospectively assessed 95 patients undergoing optimal guided atherectomy to assess the incidence of restenosis at 6 months. The coronary lesions were measured by a system of quantitative angiography to ensure reproducibility. Ventricular volumes, ejection fraction and segmental wall motion were assessed by ventriculography performed in the right anterior oblique projection. Sixty-three patients underwent atherectomy of the left anterior descending artery and 32 patients of the right coronary artery. The reference diameter was 3.58 +/- 0.65 mm. Atherectomy increased the minimal diameter of the lesion from 1.19 +/- 0.44 to 3.03 +/- 0.45 mm, with a residual stenosis of 14 +/- 10% of the diameter. At 6 months, 23% of patients had restenosed (> 50% stenosis) with a residual lumen at 1.16 +/- 0.39 mm. In the absence of restenosis, there was no significant change in left ventricular volumes or pressures and the global ejection fraction increased by +4 +/- 9% (p < 0.01), mainly in the group undergoing left anterior descending atherectomy. Moreover, fractional shortening increased in the anterior segments (+11 +/- 18%; p < 0.001). The authors conclude that optimal atherectomy is associated with acceptable rates of restenosis and that medium-term benefits of segmental wall motion are observed in patients without angiographic restenosis, mainly in those undergoing the procedure on the left anterior descending artery.

[Brucella endocarditis of bicuspid aortic valve. Surgical treatment with successful result]. / Endocardite brucellienne sur bicuspidie aortique. Guérison par traitement chirurgical.

The authors report a case of Brucella Melitensis endocarditis of a bicuspid aortic valve which caused rapid progression of the hemodynamic signs of aortic stenosis, and was associated with a para-aortic abscess and a pericardial effusion. Surgery resulted in correction of the hemodynamic abnormalities and cured the infection: the results were sustained 10 months after operation. This case illustrates the precision of the Doppler, echocardiographic diagnosis of the lesions, which was confirmed at surgery so that potentially dangerous cardiac catheterisation could be avoided.

[Effects of angiotensin II on spontaneous cytosolic calcium releases in ventricular myocytes of adult normal and hypertensive rats]. / Effets de l'angiotensine II sur les libérations spontanées calciques cytosoliques dans les myocytes ventriculaires isolés de rats adultes normaux et hypertendus.

This study investigated the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) (10(-9)M to 10(-7)M) on calcium releases in ventricular myocytes from normal and renal hypertensive adult rats (Goldblatt 2K-1C). Newly, isolated myocytes were loaded with fluorescent indo-1/AM and studied at rest or under electrical stimulation. The variation of the ratio of indo-1 emission (405 nm/480 nm) was taken as a measure of cytosolic calcium variations. Five parameters were investigated from each peak systolic indo-1 ratio before and after Ang II addition: amplitude variation, duration with analysis of a rise time and a fall time, and frequency of spontaneous calcium releases. Following changes were observed: in unstimulated myocytes exhibiting spontaneous contractile activity, increase in frequency of calcium transients, at 10(-7)M, in normal cells (+ 157 +/- 27%; p < 0.01) and whatever Ang II concentration in hypertrophied cells (+ 79 +/- 31%; p < 0.01; + 82 +/- 25%, p < 0.01; + 285 +/- 50%, p < 0.01 à 10(-9)M, 10(-8)M, 10(-7)M); in stimulated myocytes, prolongation of the duration of calcium transients explained by the occurrence of calcium releases during fall time. In addition, 50% of myocytes exhibited spontaneous releases of calcium in the interstimulus interval. Increase in calcium transients duration was statistically significant, whatever Ang II concentration in hypertrophied cells (+ 36 +/- 20%, p < 0.05; + 39 +/- 18%, p < 0.01; + 77 +/- 34%, p < 0.01 à 10(-9)M, 10(-8)M, 10(-7)M) and only at 10(-7)M in normal cells (+ 68 +/- 22% p < 0.01). Similar results were observed in fall time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Role of echocardiography in the diagnosis of acquired diseases of the thoracic aorta]. / Place de l'échocardiographie dans le diagnostic des maladies acquises de l'aorte thoracique.

The diagnosis and follow-up of acquired thoracic aortic disease have greatly improved with advances in transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiographic techniques. In emergency situations, transoesophageal echocardiography is the key diagnostic investigation for dissection, significantly speeding up surgical referral. Atherosclerosis of the aorta is the second clinical situation in which transoesophageal echocardiography confirms its superiority over other imaging techniques for the recognition of intra-aortic debris carrying a high embolic risk.

[Local progression of atherosclerosis after optimal directional atherectomy. Endocoronary ultrasonography of 17 patients]. / Progression locale de l'athérosclérose après athérectomie directionnelle optimale. Analyse par échographie endovasculaire à propos de 17 patients.

In vivo endovascular ultrasonography has confirmed the extension of atheroma to angiographically normal segments. The authors set out to determine by endocoronary ultrasonography if the introduction of the atherotome changed the intimal thickness 20 mm proximal and distal to the site treated. The area circumscribed by the external elastic layer (EEL) and the surface area of the lumen was measured in 17 patients: 1) before atherectomy; 2) after atherectomy; 3) at control 6 months later. Atherectomy immediately increased the luminal area at the site dilated from 1.9 + 0.9 to 8.1 +/- 2mm (p < 0.001). At the proximal segment, the surface area of the lumen was unchanged (mean + 0.6 +/- 1.5 mm2; p = 0.13). Similarly the procedure did not change the surface circumscribed by the EEL (mean + 0.8 +/- 3.2 mm2; p = 0.32) in this zone. The same results were observed at the distal site. At 6 months, the areas under the EEL and those of the lumen were unchanged at the unoperated sites. The mean of the differences (+/- 1 SD) for the area under the EEL was respectively -0.2 +/- 1.5 mm2 proximally and +0.7 +/- 2.5 mm2 distally. The means for the luminal area were 0.2 +/- 1 mm2 proximally and -0.01 +/- 1.1 mm2; distally. At the site of atherectomy, the luminal surface increased (+2.0 +/- 2.6 mm2; p < 0.01) as did the area under the EEL (+2.0 +/- 3.5 mm2; p < 0.05). This preliminary series shows no significant progression of atherosclerosis at the sites not affected by atherectomy.

Effect of angiotensin II on calcium release phenomena in normal and hypertrophied single cardiac myocytes.

The effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) (10(-9) M to 10(-7) M) on calcium releases were established in ventricular myocytes from normal and renal hypertensive adult rats. From each peak systolic indo-1 ratio (405 nm/480 nm), amplitude variation, duration (rise time and fall time), and frequency of spontaneous calcium releases were investigated on freshly isolated cardiomyocytes at rest or under electrical stimulation. The following changes were observed: (1) in spontaneous contracting myocytes, an increase in frequency of calcium transients at 10(-7) M in normal cells (+157%, P < 0.05) and at whatever angiotensin II concentration in hypertrophied cells (10(-9) M: +79% P < 0.05; 10(-8) M +82%, P < 0.01; 10(-7) M: +285%, P < 0.01) with a greater sensitivity of hypertrophied cells to Ang II (P < 0.05 at 10(-9) M, P < 0.01 at 10(-8) M). (2) In stimulated myocytes, a prolongation of the duration of calcium transients at 10(-7) M in normal cells (+68%, P < 0.01) and at 10(-9) M, 10(-8) M, 10(-7) M in hypertrophied cells: (+36%, P < 0.05; +39%, P < 0.01; +77%, P < 0.01) with a greater sensitivity of hypertrophied myocytes (P < 0.05 at 10(-9) M and 10(-8) M). An increase in duration may be explained by the occurrence of calcium releases during the fall time of calcium transients. Thus, both in normal and hypertrophied myocytes, Ang II induced the occurrence of calcium releases with increased sensitivity of hypertrophied cells to Ang II. Such calcium releases are known to be a possible cause of arrhythmias termed "triggered activity".