Interleukin-10 rs1800871 (-819C/T) and ATA haplotype are associated with preeclampsia in a Tunisian population.

OBJECTIVES: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is implicated in several aspects of pregnancy. As genetic predisposition can be involved in the development of preeclampsia, the association between IL-10's promoter region polymorphisms and this pathology has been investigated, although with conflicting results. To date, only a small cohort study (total n = 40) has evaluated this association in the African continent, and none have been conducted in Tunisia. Hence, we evaluated the association between these polymorphisms and the risk of preeclampsia in a large Tunisian cohort. STUDY DESIGN: 345 preeclampsia patients and 300 controls were genotyped for the IL-10 promoter region variants -1082A/G, -819C/T and -592A/C using real-time PCR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in means were determined by Student's t-test, while intergroup significance was assessed by Pearson χ2 or 2-way ANOVA. Genotypes were tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in the control and cases. Logistic regression analysis was performed in order to determine the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals associated with the linkage disequilibrium risk. RESULTS: An increased frequency of the -819 T (minor) allele and the -819 T/T genotype was seen in preeclampsia cases. Also, three-locus haplotype (-1082AG/-819CT/-592AC) analysis identified the ATA haplotype as having a higher incidence in women with preeclampsia (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.03-2.11) and this was confirmed by multivariate regression analysis (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.13-2.43) after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the IL-10 -819 T/T variant and the ATA haplotype, which are associated with low production of IL 10, represent genetic risk factors for preeclampsia in Tunisian women.

Comparative theoretical study of the conformations of amphotericin methyl ester and amphotericin B polar heads in the presence of water.

Amphotericin methyl ester (AmE) is an interesting derivative of amphotericin B (AmB) because of its enhancement of selectivity against the fungicells. Both AmB and AmE molecules differ by the structure of their polar heads. This work deals with a theoretical study of conformations of the polar head of AmE in the presence of hydration water molecules. The results will be compared with our previous work concerning AmB.

[Post-cesarean parietal scar characteristics are predictive of pelvic adhesions. A prospective cohort study]. / Les caractéristiques de la cicatrice pariétale de césarienne sont des facteurs prédictifs des adhérences pelviennes. Étude de cohorte prospective.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether abdominal scar characteristics could predict the incidence and severity of intra-abdominal adhesions found at repeat cesarean delivery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort study including 151pregnant women with at least one previous cesarean delivery and who delivered abdominally in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of Farhat Hached teaching hospital-Sousse-Tunisia, during 6 months. Abdominal scar characteristics were studied. The main outcome measure(s) were the incidence and severity of intra-abdominal adhesions. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0. RESULTS: Of 151 women enrolled into this trial, 111 (73.5%) had adhesions, 57 (37.8%) had dense adhesions. Of all the abdominal scar characteristics studied, a depressed scar was associated with an increased incidence of both dense and filmy intra-abdominal adhesions and frozen pelvis if compared of women who did not have a depressed scar (P<10(-4) ; RR=7.6; IC=2.98-19.45). A number of previous cesarean section equal or more than 2 was also correlated with an increased incidence of severe intra-abdominal adhesions and frozen pelvis if compared with women who had only one previous cesarean section (P=0.002; RR=2.53; IC=1.16-5.56). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: A depressed abdominal scar of a previous cesarean delivery and a number of previous cesarean sections are significantly correlated with the incidence and severity of intra-abdominal adhesions.

Conformational study based on simulated annealing and 1H NMR of peptides comprising the consensus sequence Arg5-Asp-Val-Arg-Gly9: effects of the substitution Ser 12 by Ala 12 or of 3 residues deletion at the N-terminus.

A conformational search by simulated annealing has been performed on two peptides derivated from the tetradecapeptide used to isolate the Xenopus laevis skin maturation RXVRG-endoprotease. The Ala 12 derivative, obtained by substitution in the hydrophobic C terminal fragment and the undecapeptide 4-14, obtained by deletion of an acidic rich tripeptide, were studied. No unique structure has been found for the tetradecapeptide Ala 12. This structural disorganization could explain the loss of activity of the endoprotease towards the substituted peptide. For the undecapeptide, two different models in accordance with the NMR data were found. The conformational differences between these two models are located in the consensus sequence and in each case an hairpin-like conformation is observed. These results could be related to the enhanced cleavage activity of the maturation enzyme. The obtained structures are also compared with those of the original tetradecapeptide.

A conformational study of Lys-Arg-Asp-Ser and analogs, a series of potent antithrombotic peptides. An approach based on simulated annealing and 1H NMR.

Simulated annealing techniques were used to explore the conformational space of the potent antithrombotic peptide L.Lys-L.Arg-L.Asp-L.Ser (KRDS) and of two analogs: D.Lys-L.Arg-L.Asp-L.Ser (KDRDS), which is inactive, and L.Lys-L.Arg-L.Glu-L.Glu (KREE), which exhibits a strong biological activity. For each peptide, a set of initial conformations was generated and submitted to simulated annealing, including a heating to 1000 K followed by a cooling to 300 K. 200 resulting conformations of each compound were analyzed and classified according to the network of electrostatic interactions involving charged side chains and charged C- and N-terminal groups. A reduced number of conformational classes was obtained and conformations corresponding to predominant classes were found to be in qualitative agreement with structural parameters deduced from 1H NMR spectra. A comparison between the classes of the active and non active peptide was achieved. Some conformations were found to be specific of active peptides.

[Lupus in children in Tunisia]. / Lupus de l'enfant en Tunisie.

In this study, we have analyzed the clinical and serological features related to 16 Tunisian children in whom diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus was made before or at the age of 15. Renal involvement was found in 75% of cases and renal biopsies have mostly revealed severe histologic patterns. All of the patients who have been followed received corticosteroids and in some cases required additional cytotoxic drugs in order to control disease activity. Five children died in a context of a renal failure. This study of childhood lupus in Tunisia confirms that the clinical course of this disease in children is often aggressive.

[Tuberculous spondylitis with syndesmophytes and paraspinal ossification. Two case reports]. / Spondylite tuberculeuse avec syndesmophyte et ossification paravertébrale. A propos de 2 cas.

The authors described 2 patients with spinal tuberculosis. The first one was presented with multiple anterior marginal involvement of vertebral bodies, centrosomatic spondylitis of L3, associated with a syndesmophytic showing spinal ossification. In the second case, spinal tuberculosis involved the vertebral arc of L2 and L4. A paravertebral ossification on both sides of L4 was seen. The nature of these vertebral and paravertebral ossifications was discussed.

[Treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascularization in pathologic myopia with photodynamic therapy: outcomes at 1 and 2 years of follow-up]. / Traitement des néo-vaisseaux choroïdiens rétrofovéolaires du myope fort par photothérapie dynamique: résultats à 1 an et à 2 ans.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the visual outcome of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) caused by pathologic myopia. METHODS: Retrospective and noncomparative analysis of 42 patients with CNV secondary to pathologic myopia recruited between September 2001 and 2003, who were treated with a standard regimen of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were followed up for 12 months; 15 out of 42 completed 24 months of follow-up. Initial visual acuity ranged from 1/10 to 5/10 with a mean of 1.6/10. Twenty-five (56.7%) eyes had stable or improved visual acuity at 12 months with a mean of 2.5/10. In the group of patients who completed 24 months of follow-up, six eyes (39.9%) had stable or improved visual acuity with a mean of 1.6/10 at 1 year and 1.25/10 at 2 years. The average photodynamic therapy treatment required in 1 and 2 years were 1.5 and 2.1, respectively, and they are less than those reported by the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy (VIP) study. CONCLUSION: Photodynamic therapy with verteporfin for subfoveal choroidal neovascularization caused by pathologic myopia maintained a visual benefit at 1 and 2 years.

[Bolus of cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone in uveitis in Behçet's disease. Preliminary results with the use of new criteria of evaluation]. / Les bolus de cyclophosphamide et de méthylprednisolone dans l'uvéite de la maladie de Behçet. Résultats préliminaires comportant l'utilisation de nouveaux critères d'évaluation.

In a prospective open trial, the effect of pulse cyclophosphamide or methylprednisolone in the treatment of Behçet's disease uveitis was studied. The therapeutic effect was evaluated based on two scores: one evolutive, reflecting ocular inflammation and calculated for each eye before and after therapy; and the other, a measure of disease severity, which took into consideration the irreversible damage. Patients who received cyclophosphamide pulse therapy (n = 8) had significantly lower evolutive scores (16.12 +/- 3.95, vs 10.37 +/- 8.53, p < 0.01) than the patients receiving classical methylprednisolone pulse therapy (n = 20), who had no significant changes in their evolutive scores (12.95 +/- 8.55, vs 10.05 +/- 8.56, p > 0.05).

[Tuberculosis of the posterior vertebral arch. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Tuberculose de l'arc postérieur vertébral. A propos de deux cas.

Spinal tuberculosis involving vertebral arc occurred in two patients. The first case had a single lesion presenting as a pseudo-tumoral feature. The second one had plurifocal tuberculosis peripheral and spinal one. The needle biopsy permitted the diagnosis in the two cases. Computed tomography showed the vertebral arch lesions with details and contiguous corporeal involvement. Clinical and radiological improvement was obtained after medical treatment.

Structure determination of a tetradecapeptide mimicking the RXVRG consensus sequence recognized by a Xenopus laevis skin endoprotease: an approach based on simulated annealing and 1H NMR.

The tetradecapeptide of sequence H-Asp-Val-Asp-Glu-Arg5-Asp-Val-Arg-Gly9-Phe-Ala-Ser-Phe-Leu- NH2 is recognized by a putative maturation endoprotease of the Xenopus laevis skin, which cleaves between Arg8 and Gly9. A conformational search has been performed on this peptide by simulated annealing calculations. Two different models in agreement with the NMR data were found. The conformational difference between the two types of model is located in the consensus sequence, i.e., from Arg5 to Gly9.