Quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus: description in a cohort of French patients and association with blood hydroxychloroquine levels.

OBJECTIVES: Benefits of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) use on physician reported outcomes are well documented in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We assess for the first time the association and predictive value of blood HCQ levels towards health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in SLE. METHODS: Data from the PLUS study (a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study) were utilized. Blood HCQ levels were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography along with HRQOL assessments (Medical Outcomes Study-SF-36) at baseline (V1) and month 7 (V2). RESULTS: 166 SLE patients' data were analysed. Mean (SD) age and disease duration were 44.4 (10.7) and 9.3 (6.8) years. Eighty-seven per cent were women. Mean (SD, median, IQR) HCQ concentrations in the blood at V1 were 660 (314, 615, 424) ng/ml and increased to 1020 (632, 906, 781) ng/ml at V2 (mean difference 366 units, 95% confidence interval -472 to -260, p < 0.001). No significant correlations between HCQ concentrations with HRQOL domains at V1 or V2 were noted. There were no differences in HRQOL stratified by HCQ concentrations. HCQ concentrations at V1 or changes in HCQ concentration (V2-V1) were not predictive of HRQOL at V2 or changes in HRQOL (V2-V1). CONCLUSIONS: No association of HCQ concentrations with current or longitudinal HRQOL were found in SLE.

Multiple health care visits related to a pediatric emergency visit for young children with common illnesses.

UNLABELLED: We aim to describe the number of health care visits before and after pediatric emergency department (PED) visits for common illnesses in a French tertiary pediatric hospital. This was a prospective cohort study with 501 children under 6 years of age who were evaluated and discharged from a tertiary care PED. Enrollment occurred on eight randomly selected study days between November 2010 and June 2011. The caregivers were then contacted via telephone 8 days later to obtain follow-up data, including information about return visits to health care facilities. Multiple visits were made by 206 (41 %) children, previous visits had occurred for 139 (28 %) children, and return visits had occurred for 94 (19 %) children. Previous and return visits were made at the PED as well as in general practitioners' offices and private pediatric offices. The median age of the subjects was 18 months. Fever was the most common complaint and was associated with more frequent multiple heath care visits. CONCLUSION: Multiple heath care visits for the same illness are frequent, especially for febrile children. Interestingly, this phenomenon concerns every type of health care facility, including the PED, general practitioners' offices, and private pediatric offices. Further studies should be performed to achieve a better understanding of this phenomenon and to test specific interventions, such as parental education and improvement of the information system.

Serum procalcitonin does not differentiate between infection and disease flare in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic erythematosus lupus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disease. Disease flares may mimic infection with fever, inflammatory syndrome and chills, sometimes resulting in a difficult differential diagnosis. Elevated serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels have been reported to be predictive of bacterial infections, but with conflicting results. The value of serum procalcitonin has not been assessed in large series of SLE. We aimed to describe the distribution of PCT levels in SLE patients with and without flares, to assess the factors associated with increased PCT levels, and to determine the positive and negative predictive values of increased PCT for bacterial infection in SLE patients. Hospitalized SLE patients were included in a retrospective study. Serum PCT had been assayed, or a serum sample had been frozen on admission, before treatment modification. Serum PCT, measured by an automated immunofluorometric assay, and SLEDAI were assessed at the same time. Some 53 women (median age: 33.7 years, range 16-76) and seven men (median age: 52.5 years ± 19) were included. The median SLEDAI for patients with flare (n = 16, 28%) was 2 (range: 0-29). Five patients (8%) had systemic infection. Only one patient had increased PCT levels. Men had significantly higher PCT levels than women (0.196 ± 0.23 versus 0.066 ± 0.03, p < 0.01) and a significant correlation was observed between PCT, age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein. We conclude that PCT levels were within the normal range in infected and non-infected SLE patients and there was no ability to differentiate SLE patients with or without bacterial infection.

Procalcitonin at the onset of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: the GRACG prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: An epidemic pattern has been reported for GCA and PMR. Immunological studies have shown that an unknown antigen activates the dendritic cells of the adventitia and the type 4 toll-like receptors. Procalcitonin (PCT) is an early marker of bacterial infection. The goal of the study was to assess the level of PCT in GCA and PMR at the onset of the disease. METHODS: Patients diagnosed during the 2002-06 period were randomly selected. All the 46 patients fulfilled the ACR or the Hunder criteria, and all blood samples were taken before steroid therapy. RESULTS: PCT was normal in all patients. PCT was slightly increased in men (0.087 +/- 0.023 microg/l) compared with women (0.066 +/- 0.027 microg/l) (P = 0.009), and in PMR (0.092 +/- 0.027 microg/l) compared with GCA (0.068 +/- 0.026 microg/l) (P = 0.018). There was no significant correlation with inflammation markers. CONCLUSIONS: These results are not in favour of a bacterial trigger for GCA or PMR. Increased PCT levels in patients with inflammatory syndrome, GCA-PMR symptoms and negative temporal artery biopsy may rule out the diagnosis of GCA and PMR.

[Cervical lymph node tuberculosis: diagnosis and treatment]. / Tuberculose lymphonodale cervicale: prise en charge diagnostique et thérapeutique.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the advantages of surgery for diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymph node tuberculosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study from 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2007 including 30 patients with cervical lymph node tuberculosis. The population included 60% autochthones with a mean age of 47.1 years and a female predominance (73.33%). RESULTS: The lymph nodes were most often supraclavicular, unilateral, firm, and a mean 3 cm at its largest span. Lymph nodes were excised for diagnosis in 22 patients, which demonstrated specific granulomatous and giant cell lesions with caseous necrosis in 21 patients out of 22. Five abscessed adenopathies required surgical drainage, and three cases required repeated lymph node cleaning after well-conducted medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Surgery retains an important place in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymph node tuberculosis.

Diagnostic value of 18-F fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT and bone scan in Schnitzler syndrome.

Introduction: Schnitzler syndrome is an auto-inflammatory disease defined by chronic urticarial eruption and monoclonal gammopathy. 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is often performed, but its utility in Schnitzler syndrome has not been specifically investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether PET/CT is informative in the diagnosis and follow-up of Schnitzler syndrome relative to other imaging techniques, including bone scans.Patients and methods: Patients of this study were selected from the French cohort established by Néel et al. All patients with a diagnosis of Schnitzler syndrome (according to Strasbourg's and Lipsker's criteria) who had at least one PET/CT were included. Data were collected from medical records. PET/CT scans were all reviewed by a nuclear physician blinded to the clinical and imaging data.Results: Ten patients underwent at least one PET/CT scan and all had at least one 99mTechnetium bone scan during their follow-up. The most frequent PET/CT abnormalities were diffuse bone-marrow and/or increased femoral fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, but they did not correlate with disease activity. Conversely, bone-scan abnormalities, including mainly increased radiotracer uptake in long bones, appeared to strongly correlate with Schnitzler syndrome activity.Discussion: PET/CT does not appear to be useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of Schnitzler syndrome. However, bone scans appear to be more sensitive for diagnosis and may correlate with clinical activity. Bone scans may be well positioned to distinguish Schnitzler syndrome relapse from other aetiologies of bone, joint, or muscle pain.Conclusion: Bone scans may be favoured over PET/CT in Schnitzler syndrome.

Prevalence of anti-S100A10 antibodies in antiphospholipid syndrome patients.

INTRODUCTION: Annexin A2 (ANXA2), an endothelial cell receptor for plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator, has been identified as a new autoantigen in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). ANXA2 can exist as a monomer or a heterotetrameric complex with S100A10 protein. This S100A10 subunit also plays a pivotal role in the regulation of fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of autoantibodies directed against S100A10 protein in patients with APS. METHODS: Patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS), patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and patients with unexplained thrombosis were retrospectively included in this study. Patients were followed in the department of Internal Medicine of Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France. IgG and IgM anti-S100A10 antibodies were detected in the serum of patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The cut-off value for positivity was defined as 3 standard deviations above the mean optical density (OD) obtained in the sera of 116 healthy blood donors. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 116 healthy individuals and 106 patients: 42 APS patients (26 patients with PAPS and 16 patients with secondary SLE-related APS), 43 SLE patients without APS and 21 patients with unexplained thrombosis. The median age of APS patients, SLE patients without APS, patients with unexplained thrombosis and healthy individuals was 47, 38, 53 and 42 years, respectively. Anti-S100A10 antibodies were detected in 11.9% of APS patients and this prevalence was statistically higher than that observed in healthy individuals (1.7%) (p = 0.0148). Highest levels of anti-S100A10 were observed in the serum of one PAPS patient with venous thrombosis and one SLE patient with APS with a history of stroke and recurrent miscarriage. CONCLUSION: S100A10 protein, the binding partner of ANXA2, was identified as a target of autoantibodies in sera from patients with APS. Further studies involving a large cohort of APS patients are required to determine whether these antibodies could play a role in thrombogenic mechanisms of APS and to determine their diagnostic value in discriminating clinical subgroups of patients with APS, particularly those with seronegative APS.

Interstitial lung disease in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been reported in 3 to 11% of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). The aims of this retrospective multicenter study were to: 1) analyze characteristics and outcome of ILD in pSS; and 2) evaluate predictive factors associated with ILD onset and deterioration. Twenty-one of 263 patients with pSS (8%) developed ILD. ILD onset preceded pSS diagnosis (n=5), was concurrently identified in association with pSS (n=6) and developed after pSS onset (n=9). Presenting ILD manifestations were: acute/subacute (n=11) onset of ILD, symptomatic progressive onset of ILD (n=5), and asymptomatic patients exhibiting abnormalities consistent with ILD on PFTs and HRCT-scan (n=5). ILD therapy included: steroids (n=21), cyclophosphamide (n=1), azathioprine (n=4) and rituximab (n=1). The course of ILD was as follows: improvement (15.8%), stabilization (47.4%) or deterioration (36.8%). Predictive parameters of ILD onset were: older age (p=0.044), Raynaud's phenomenon (p=0.001) and esophageal involvement (p=0.001). Factors associated with ILD deterioration were: older age (p=0.038) and esophageal involvement (p=0.038). Thus, this study underscores the poor outcome of ILD during pSS; thus, systematic screening of pulmonary involvement is required in pSS patients, resulting in both diagnosis and management at early stage of ILD. We also suggest that patients presenting predictive factors of ILD deterioration may need a closer follow-up and a more aggressive therapy.

[Incidence of cardiovascular events in giant cell arteritis: preliminary results of a prospective double cohort study (GRACG)]. / Incidence des accidents cardiovasculaires au cours de la maladie de Horton: résultats préliminaires de l'étude prospective en double cohorte GRACG.

UNLABELLED: Giant cell arteritis is the most frequent vasculitis. Cardiovascular events such as cerebrovascular accident or ischemic heart disease may occur in patients with giant cell arteritis. However, their real incidence, as well as their relative risk compared to the general population, remains unknown. PURPOSE: To assess in a prospective, double cohort study, the incidence of cardiovascular events in giant cell arteritis patients compared to controls, after controlling for cardiovascular risk factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included on predefined criteria 432 newly diagnosed patients with giant cell arteritis, each assigned to sex- and age-matched controls randomly selected from the general population. Cardiovascular risk factors (high-blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and preexisting peripheral vascular disease) were collected at inclusion. During the 24-month follow-up, all cardiovascular events were collected. After stratification for cardiovascular risk factors, a log-rank test was performed to compare cases and controls. A parametric survival model was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Cardiovascular events all combined were significantly increased in patients with giant cell arteritis (RR = 2.15 [1.21-3.81], P = 0.009), and were mainly associated with age (P = 0.0001), past history of cardiovascular disease (P = 0.023) but also with giant cell arteritis (P = 0.009). However, each subset of cerebrovascular accident (RR = 2.42 [0.84-7]) or ischemic heart disease (RR = 1.67 [0.72-3.89]) increased but did not significantly. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular events incidence is increased in patients with giant cell arteritis, and prescription of preventive antiagregant treatment may be discussed.

[Treatment in primary Streptococcus pneumoniae peritonitis in adult: a case report and review of the literature]. / Prise en charge thérapeutique de la péritonite primitive à Streptococcus pneumoniae de l'adulte: étude d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Streptococcus pneumoniae primary peritonitis is rare. The diagnosis is uneasy and the treatment is not standardised. CASE REPORT: We report a single case of S. pneumoniae primary peritonitis needing surgical treatment. DISCUSSION: S. pneumoniae primary peritonitis can be medically treated. Surgery is needed in case of sepsis, associated digestive injuries or failure of medical treatment.

Incidence of Severe Infections and Infection-Related Mortality During the Course of Giant Cell Arteritis: A Multicenter, Prospective, Double-Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of infections leading to hospitalization, the mortality rate related to infections, and the determinants of these factors in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS: In total, 486 patients with GCA (75% women) were enrolled at the time of diagnosis. All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for GCA. As controls, age- and sex-matched subjects were randomly selected from the general population and matched to patients at the time of diagnosis of GCA. Both groups were prospectively followed up over a 5-year period. RESULTS: Severe infections were more frequent among patients with GCA during the first year after diagnosis, compared to general population controls (incidence rate ratio 2.1, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.2-3.4; incidence rate 11.1/100 patient-years [95% CI 8.3-14.6] in patients with GCA versus 5.9/100 patient-years [95% CI 4-8.4] in controls). Specifically, septic shock and infectious colitis were more frequent among the patients with GCA. Mortality caused by infections was higher in patients with GCA compared to controls (P < 0.0001 by log rank test). In analyses adjusted for age, among patients with GCA, a diagnosis of diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 3.3, 95% CI 1.4-7.7) and a corticosteroid dosage that was >10 mg/day after 12 months of treatment (HR 4.61, 95% CI 1.38-15.36) were associated with death attributed to severe infection. The observed overall incidence of mortality was increased in patients with GCA during the early period of enrollment in the study (before 1997) (P = 0.0001 by log rank test), but thereafter was the same as that in the general population controls. CONCLUSION: Frequencies of severe infections and rates of infection-related mortality are increased during the first year after the diagnosis of GCA. The risk of infection increases in GCA patients with older age or in the presence of diabetes, or is greater when the dosage of corticosteroids has been increased to >10 mg/day after 12 months of treatment.

Antibodies directed against annexin A2 and obstetric morbidity.

Acquired and inherited thrombophilia have both been reported to be associated with an increased risk of obstetric complications in early or later stages of pregnancy. Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is strongly expressed in vascular and placental tissues and plays a crucial role in fibrinolysis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies directed against ANXA2 in patients with recurrent miscarriage or obstetric complications. Anti-ANXA2 antibodies (aANXA2) were detected by ELISA in the sera from 46 women with obstetric morbidity, mainly recurrent miscarriage. The cut-off value for positivity was defined as 3 standard deviations above the mean optical density (OD) obtained in the sera from 42 female blood donors. The prevalence of aANXA2 in patients and healthy individuals was 15.2% and 2.3%, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups in terms of aANXA2 IgG titers (p=0.01). The highest aANXA2 levels were observed in sera from 2 patients with recurrent miscarriage and one patient with preeclampsia. aANXA2 could play a role in thrombotic mechanisms leading to recurrent pregnancy loss and placental vascular disease. Further studies are needed to determine whether ANXA2 is critical for maintenance of placental integrity.

Vascular expression of annexin A2 in lupus nephritis.

AIMS: To evaluate vascular expression of annexin A2 (ANXA2) and its subunit S100A10 in lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS: The present histological study included 14 patients with LN and 11 controls (patients with non-lupus kidney diseases). Kidney biopsies from patients with lupus were scored for lupus glomerulonephritis (according to the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society 2003 classification) and vascular lesions (such as microthrombi and antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy (APSN)). ANXA2 and S100A10 expression in glomerular and peritubular capillaries was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on tissue sections. The staining intensity score ranged from 0 (no expression) to 4 (intense expression). RESULTS: In patients with LN, the median age (range) at first kidney biopsy was 36 (18-49). Vascular lesions were observed in six patients (including two with APSN). We observed intense expression of ANXA2 in glomerular and peritubular capillaries while expression of S100A10 was weaker. However, one of the patients with APSN showed strong S100A10 expression. Patients with LN and controls differed significantly in terms of S100A10 expression in peritubular capillaries. We also observed a statistical difference between patients who had LN with renal vascular lesions and those without renal vascular lesions in terms of ANXA2 expression in peritubular capillaries. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of vascular lesions in LN appears to be associated with significant differences in the vascular expression of ANXA2. Vascular expression of ANXA2 was somewhat higher in LN. Vascular expression of S100A10 was somewhat lower in LN (except one of the two patients with APSN). Further studies of ANXA2's putative value as a biomarker of active LN or of vascular lesions in LN are required.

[Aetiological spectrum of hyperferritinemia]. / Spectre étiologique des hyperferritinémies.

UNLABELLED: Serum ferritin levels may be increased in many conditions: renal diseases, liver diseases, human immunodeficiency virus infection. The purpose of this study was to assess the aetiological spectrum of high serum ferritin levels in a 1200-bed university hospital, to compare our results with the data already published and to assess a potential association between aetiology and ferritin levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with a serum ferritin level higher than 600 microg/l were retrospectively included between 15 November 2003 and 15 January 2004, and their medical records were reviewed. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients (38 women and 60 men; median age: 59,5 years [19-92]) were recruited in departments of hepatology and gastroenterology (22%), haematology (14%) and internal medicine (18%). Diagnosis performed were: non-HIV systemic infections (23,8%), haematological diseases (16,1%), alcoholism (11,2%) and malignancies (9,8%). Dialysed chronic renal failure, liver diseases, haemochromatosis and systemic inflammatory diseases counted for 4.2 to 5.2% of cases. Serum ferritin level lied between 600 and 1000 microg/l for 50 patients, between 1000 and 1500 microg/l for 24, and over 1500 microg/l for 24. There was no significant difference between the three groups as regards the etiological distribution. DISCUSSION: In our study, chronic renal failure was not a major cause of high ferritin level: this is probably due to the current use of erythropoietin, which has decreased the use of blood transfusions. The two major aetiology of hyperferritinemia were non-HIV infections and malignancies.

Determinants of hydroxychloroquine blood concentration variations in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: Blood concentrations of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) vary widely among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship has been found in different situations, and a very low blood concentration of HCQ is a simple marker of nonadherence to treatment. Therefore, interest in blood HCQ concentration measurement has increased, but little is known about factors that influence blood HCQ concentration variability. This study was undertaken to analyze determinants of blood HCQ concentrations. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient data, including data from the Plaquenil Lupus Systemic (PLUS) study, to determine the association of epidemiologic, clinical, and biologic factors with blood HCQ concentrations. Data for nonadherent patients (blood HCQ concentration <200 ng/ml) were excluded. RESULTS: To examine homogeneous pharmacologic data, we restricted the analyses of the PLUS data to the 509 SLE patients receiving 400 mg/day. We found no association of ethnicity or smoking with blood HCQ concentrations and no pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction with antacids or with inhibitors or inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes. On multivariate analysis, high body mass index (P = 0.008), no treatment with corticosteroids (P = 0.04), increased time between the last tablet intake and measurement of blood HCQ concentrations (P = 0.017), low platelet count (P < 0.001), low neutrophil count (P < 0.001), and high estimated creatinine clearance (P < 0.001) were associated with low blood HCQ concentrations. In 22 SLE patients with chronic renal insufficiency (median serum creatinine clearance 52 ml/minute [range 23-58 ml/minute]) who received 400 mg/day HCQ, the median blood HCQ concentration was significantly higher than that in the 509 patients from the PLUS study (1,338 ng/ml [range 504-2,229 ng/ml] versus 917 ng/ml [range 208-3316 ng/ml]) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We provide a comprehensive analysis of determinants of blood HCQ concentrations. Because this measurement is increasingly being used, these data might be useful for clinicians.

Neoadjuvant transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: a solution for extrahepatic abdominal operation in cirrhotic patients with severe portal hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Major abdominal surgery, although technically feasible per se, can be contraindicated in some cirrhotic patients because of severe portal hypertension. The present study reports our experience of seven such patients who were prepared for major abdominal surgery by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). STUDY DESIGN: There were seven cirrhotic patients (six men and one woman aged 47 to 69 years) with portal hypertension. Portal hypertension was considered severe because of the presence of at least one of the following: history of variceal bleeding (five of seven patients), varices at risk of bleeding (red signs or cardial location of varices; four of seven patients), or intractable ascites (three of seven patients). The planned operations included colon, gastroesophageal, kidney, and aortic procedures in three, two, one, and one patient, respectively. Because portal hypertension was the leading cause of surgical contraindication, the following "two-step strategy" was applied to the seven patients: first, TIPS to control portal hypertension, followed, after a delay of at least 1 month, by abdominal surgery. RESULTS: The TIPS procedure was successfully performed in all patients without complications. The hepatic venous pressure gradient decreased from 18+/-5 to 9+/-5 mm Hg (p<0.01). All patients were operated on with a delay ranging from 1 month to 5 months after TIPS (2.9+/-1.3 months; median 3 months). The planned operation was performed in six of the seven patients. One patient with cancer of the cardia did not have resection because of extensive abdominal spreading of the tumor. Intraoperative transfusion was necessary in only two patients. Operative mortality occurred in one patient, 36 days after resection of a left colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The minimally invasive nature of TIPS allows us to propose the following two-step management of cirrhotic patients with severe portal hypertension needing abdominal surgery: decompression of the portal system by TIPS followed by elective surgery.

Pharmacokinetics and ascitic fluid penetration of piperacillin in cirrhosis.

The pharmacokinetics of piperacillin were evaluated in seven healthy volunteers, eight cirrhotic patients without ascites and 11 cirrhotic patients with sterile ascites after a single 15-min intravenous infusion of 4 g of the drug. In ascitic patients, piperacillin rapidly entered the peritoneal fluid. Peritoneal concentrations were higher than 10 mg/l from 0.5 to 8 h after the infusion. Disappearance rate of piperacillin was slower in the ascitic fluid than in plasma. The plasma half life of piperacillin was more prolonged in cirrhotic patients that in control subjects. This difference was more marked in ascitic patients for whom half life was twice as high as in volunteers (1.95 versus 0.91 h; P less than 0.01).

Plasma vitamin A, E, and beta-carotene levels in adult post-partum Algerian women.

Vitamins A and E are essential for foetal growth, reproduction, and lactation. In this article we report the results of a study, lead in three Eastern Algeria cities, that involved 786 post-partum women and 250 control. Plasma levels of vitamins A, E, beta-carotene, and some nutritional indexes were measured in both groups. In control women, plasma retinol and beta-carotene levels were significantly lower in Algeria than in France (retinol: 1.4 +/- 0.42 vs. 1.78 +/- 0.53 mumol/l; beta-carotene: 0.35 +/- 0.261 vs. 0.94 +/- 0.611). These differences could be the consequence of different beta-carotene and retinol intakes. In Algeria, comparisons between post-partum women and controls, showed that plasma vitamin A and beta-carotene levels were significantly lower in post-partum than in control women. This fact, and the lower level of retinol in control women, raises the question of supplementation for pregnant women in Algeria, at least for those with the lowest standard of living whose protein and zinc levels are also very low after delivery. Plasma vitamin E levels and vitamin E/total lipid ratios were not different in Algeria and in France. Vitamin E concentration was higher during pregnancy, but the vitamin E/total lipid ratio was significantly lower, which shows a relative deficiency at the end of pregnancy. Comparisons of plasma vitamin E levels, at delivery, in primiparous and in multiparous women reveal a better tocopherol status in multiparous women. This difference could reflect an adaptive response to oxidative stress in multiparous women.

[Hepatic disorders related to Lyme disease. Study of two cases and a review of the literature]. / L'atteinte hépatique dans la maladie de Lyme. Etude de deux cas et revue de la littérature.

We report two cases of Lyme disease, revealed by hepatic damage in a 71- and a 59-year old man. In the first case, the disease was revealed by febrile jaundice whereas, in the second case, results of liver tests showed cytolytic and cholestatic abnormalities with fever. Lyme disease is a zoonosis due to infection by Borrelia burdorferi transmitted by ticks. The multiple phases of the disease explain the polymorphism of the clinical manifestations. Usually, extrahepatic symptoms are first observed, including neurological tropisms of Borrelia burdorferi. On the contrary, hepatic impairment due to Lyme disease is rare, often asymptomatic and with biological manifestations only.