[Quality of life of silicotic former miners]. / Qualité de vie des anciens mineurs silicotiques.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the respiration-related quality of life (QoL) of former miners with silicosis and to determine the factors that could affect QoL (socio-demographic and professional parameters, toxic habits, co-morbidities, and degree of respiratory disability). METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 104 people who came for routine periodic consultation and included the medical records file and a questionnaire. RESULTS: The average age was 66.3±5.4 years. Functional respiratory symptoms were exertional dyspnoea (97.2%), cough (73.1%), sputum (59.6%) and wheezing (25%). Associated respiratory illnesses were asthma (29.8%), COPD (18.3%), persistent rhinitis (13.5%) and tuberculosis (5.8%). 3/4 of the miners had at least one comorbidity. The most common were cardiovascular (43.3%), metabolic (27.9%) and musculo-skeletal (25%). The ventilatory defects were mild in 27.9%, moderate in 57.7% and severe in 14.4%. The radiological lesions exceeded four zones of the pulmonary parenchyma in 81.8%. The average scores for "symptoms", "activities ¼, « impacts" and "total" were 49.1±14%, 77.8±12%, 66.5±16% and 67±16%, respectively. Age, duration of exposure, comorbidities, moderate to severe ventilatory defects, and significant to severe impairment were correlated with altered QoL. CONCLUSION: Improvement of QoL requires comprehensive care with the management of complications, co-morbidities, better patient awareness, and better consideration of the feelings of patients.

Wavelet-based Computationally-Efficient Computer-Aided Characterization of Liver Steatosis using Conventional B-mode Ultrasound Images.

Hepatic steatosis occurs when lipids accumulate in the liver leading to steatohepatitis, which can evolve into cirrhosis and consequently may end with hepatocellular carcinoma. Several automatic classification algorithms have been proposed to detect liver diseases. However, some algorithms are manufacturer-dependent, while others require extensive calculations and consequently prolonged computational time. This may limit the development of real-time and manufacturer-independent computer-aided detection of liver steatosis. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a computationally-efficient and manufacturer-independent wavelet-based computer-aided liver steatosis detection system using conventional B-mode ultrasound (US) imaging. Seven features were extracted from the approximation part of the second-level wavelet packet transform (WPT) of US images. The proposed technique was tested on two datasets of ex-vivo mice livers with and without gelatin embedding, in addition to a third dataset of in-vivo human livers acquired using two different US machines. Using the gelatin-embedded mice liver dataset, the technique exhibited 98.8% accuracy, 97.8% sensitivity, and 100% specificity, and the frame classification time was reduced from 0.4814 s using original US images to 0.1444 s after WPT preprocessing. When the other mice liver dataset was used, the technique showed 85.74% accuracy, 84.4% sensitivity, and 88.5% specificity, and the frame classification time was reduced from 0.5612s to 0.2903 s. Using human liver image data, the best classifier exhibited 92.5% accuracy, 93.0% sensitivity, 91.0% specificity, and the classification time was reduced from 0.660 s to 0.146 s. This technique can be useful for developing computationally-efficient and manufacturer-independent noninvasive CAD systems for fatty liver detection.

Annexin-1 as a salivary biomarker for gingivitis during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: It is well established that there is higher susceptibility to gingival inflammation during pregnancy. Annexin-1 (ANXA1) is an anti-inflammatory protein which has been identified in gingival tissue exudates by discovery proteomics. This cross-sectional case-control study investigated the levels and association of ANXA1 and pro-inflammatory mediator interleukin (IL)-1ß in the saliva of pregnant and non-pregnant women. METHODS: Whole unstimulated saliva from 69 non-pregnant and 78 pregnant women was collected prior to measurement of probing depth, clinical attachment level, bleeding on probing, and plaque. Then, the women were split into 3 subgroups depending on their periodontal status (healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis). The levels of ANXA1 and IL-1ß were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reported as pg/mg after normalizing against the total protein levels. RESULTS: Significantly higher ANXA1 levels were exhibited in pregnant women with gingivitis compared with health (P < 0.05) and in pregnant women with gingivitis compared with the respective non-pregnant group (P < 0.0001). There was a significantly higher level of IL-1ß in gingivitis than in health in pregnant women (P < 0.05) and significantly higher levels in periodontitis compared with health in non-pregnant women (P < 0.05). Looking at the IL-1 ß:ANXA1 ratio, the non-pregnant periodontitis group displayed a significantly higher ratio compared with the respective pregnant group (P < 0.05). In the non-pregnant subpopulation, the ratio was significantly higher in periodontitis compared with health (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Salivary ANXA1 levels are elevated in the presence of gingivitis only in pregnant, but not non-pregnant women, rendering this molecule as a potential salivary biomarker for non-invasive early screening for gingival inflammation during pregnancy.

Intracontinental spread of human invasive Salmonella Typhimurium pathovariants in sub-Saharan Africa.

A highly invasive form of non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease has recently been documented in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The most common Salmonella enterica serovar causing this disease is Typhimurium (Salmonella Typhimurium). We applied whole-genome sequence-based phylogenetic methods to define the population structure of sub-Saharan African invasive Salmonella Typhimurium isolates and compared these to global Salmonella Typhimurium populations. Notably, the vast majority of sub-Saharan invasive Salmonella Typhimurium isolates fell within two closely related, highly clustered phylogenetic lineages that we estimate emerged independently ∼52 and ∼35 years ago in close temporal association with the current HIV pandemic. Clonal replacement of isolates from lineage I by those from lineage II was potentially influenced by the use of chloramphenicol for the treatment of iNTS disease. Our analysis suggests that iNTS disease is in part an epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa caused by highly related Salmonella Typhimurium lineages that may have occupied new niches associated with a compromised human population and antibiotic treatment.