Anthropometry-Based Prediction Equation of Body Composition in a Population Aged 12-88 Years.

BACKGROUND: Direct anthropometric measurements to assess body composition have limited precision and/or specificity. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to develop a prediction equation based on anthropometric measurements for estimating total body water (TBW) in a healthy population. METHODS: TBW was assessed using the deuterium dilution method in 398 Moroccan participants (235 women and 163 men) aged 11.6-88 y, then compared to the estimations made by previously published anthropometric equations. By sex, participants were randomly assigned into development (n = 199) and validation subgroups (n = 199). A new anthropometric equation was developed in the development subgroup from data obtained on body volume (BV), weight, and sex, where the BV was calculated from participants' height. Then the equation was validated in the validation subgroup using the Bland and Altman procedure, bias, and pure error. External validation was performed using a sample from Tunisia (n = 220, 51.8% female, 18-65 y). RESULTS: Bias in predicting TBW showed unacceptable value for all previously published equations as it was significantly overestimated. The following new equation using anthropometric measurements [TBW (kg) = -5.249 + 107.502 BV (L) + 0.289 weight (kg) + 2.015 sex (male: 1, female: 0); (R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 1.885 kg)] was developed, and its internal validation was confirmed. The generated bias and pure error values were 0.047 kg (95% CI: -0.235, 0.330) and 2.02 kg (95% CI: 1.73, 2.31), respectively. The external validation of the new TBW prediction equation on a Tunisian sample showed a bias and pure error values of 0.07 kg (95% CI: -0.289, 0.429) and 2.36 kg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the new anthropometric-based prediction equation provides a good estimation of TBW and other body composition compartments. It could be recommended as an alternative method to assess body composition for epidemiological and clinical studies.

Indispensable Amino Acid Digestibility of Moroccan Fava Bean Using the Dual Isotope Method in Healthy Adults.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of protein quality is necessary to satisfy the nutritional needs of populations across the world. In addition to indispensable amino acid (IAAs) composition, protein digestibility is a major component of IAA bioavailability, playing a crucial role in human health and affecting the linear growth of children. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate IAA digestibility of fava beans, a legume widely consumed in Morocco using the dual-tracer method. METHODS: 2H-intrinsically labeled Fava beans supplemented with 12 mg/kg BW of 13C spirulina were given to 5 healthy volunteers (3 men and 2 women), aged 25.8 ± 3.3 y, with a mean BMI of 20.0 kg/m2. The meal was spread in small portions and was given hourly throughout 7 h. Blood was sampled at baseline and hourly from 5 to 8 h after meal ingestion. IAA digestibility was evaluated by gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry using the 2H/13C ratio in plasma IAA. Digestible indispensable amino acid ratios (DIAAR) were calculated using the scoring pattern for people older than 3 y. RESULTS: Fava beans had an adequate level of lysine but were limiting in several IAAs, especially methionine. Under our experimental conditions, the average IAA digestibility of fava bean was 61.1% ± 5.2%. Valine had the highest digestibility (68.9% ± 4.3%) and threonine had the lowest (43.7% ± 8.2%). In consequence, the lowest DIAAR was 67% for threonine and only 47% for sulfur amino acids (SAA). CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first to determine the digestibility of fava bean amino acids in humans. The mean IAA digestibility was moderate, and consequently, we conclude that fava bean provides a limited amount of several IAAs, especially SAA, but adequately for lysine. Preparation and cooking methods of fava beans should be improved to increase digestibility. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT04866927.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Markers among Patients of the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center (Rabat, Morocco).

INTRODUCTION: Viral hepatitis B is a global scourge affecting millions of people worldwide. In Morocco, hepatitis B is considered a public health problem, and available data converge to consider Morocco as a country with intermediate endemicity. In the present study, we have planned to evaluate the HBV prevalence in Morocco on a large scale and to assess the prevalence of different serological markers for better management of this infection in Morocco. METHODS: This study was conducted on 18,877 patients referring to the Ibn Sina University Hospital Center of Rabat, Morocco. HBV serological markers including HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and total HBcAb were assessed by immune-enzymatic assays. The quantification of HBV DNA was performed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of positive cases for HBsAg, HBsAb, and total HBcAb was 2.47%, 27.66%, and 21.2%, respectively. From 141 patients with an isolated HBcAb serological profile (HBcAb+/HBsAb-/HBsAg-), HBV DNA was detected in 10 patients, representing a rate of 7.09%. In the present study, up to 95.78% of HBV chronic carriers were negative for HBeAg. CONCLUSION: This study highlights a higher prevalence of HBsAg in the hospital-based population than the general population reported previously in Morocco and a very low HBV immunization coverage. Of particular interest, detectable HBV DNA levels in isolated HBcAb patients show that exclusive HBsAg screening cannot eliminate the risk of HBV transmission in certain cases. Many efforts are then mandatory to promote serological testing and increase the vaccination rate to limit viral dissemination for better management of this disease in Morocco.

Impact evidence of the vitamin D status in hypertensive patients in Morocco.

Vitamin D deficiency is a hot topic as it affects about 50% of the world's population. Beyond its extra-osseous effects, notably on the cardiovascular system. In recent years many epidemiological studies have looked at the role of vitamin D status in modulating blood pressure. It appears that there is an inverse association between serum vitamin D levels and blood pressure. It is in this context that our prospective study on the Moroccan population allows having global knowledge of the association between vitamin D and arterial hypertension. This is a descriptive study of vitamin D status in Moroccan hypertensive patients in whom blood samples were taken for serum 25(OH)D determination. The data collected were anonymised and entered into SPSS software. X2 and ANOVA tests were used to investigate the existence of correlations between vitamin D status and age, age at menopause, body mass index, sex and hypertension.  1015 hypertensive patients were included in this study with a female predominance of 84.2%, mainly over 50 years old in 80.8%, of whom 31.5% were overweight or obese, 13.2% had a hypertensive parent and 70.8% had vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D regulates at least 3% of the human genome with receptors throughout the body, including vascular smooth muscle cells, vascular endothelium and cardiomyocytes, where it acts by vasodilation and by blocking the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) to lower blood pressure. There is a relationship between low serum vitamin D levels and high blood pressure. Our study concluded that there is an association between hypovitaminosis D and the pathology of hypertension. However, further randomised studies are needed and in the meantime, clinicians could propose it in the therapeutic arsenal of Moroccan hypertensive patients.

Human papilloma virus profiles in breast cancer in correlation with Vitamin D.

The major roles of vitamin D in the genesis of breast cancer and as an immunomodulator against acute and chronic infections have been the subject of much research in recent years. A low vitamin D status could decrease the function of blocking the cell multiplication cycle of the cancer process and weaken the immune system. In this context, we were interested in the implication of vitamin D status in women with human papilloma virus (HPV)-induced breast cancer. Our study included 63 women, 53 with breast cancer and 10 healthy women, and we measured the plasma 25(OH)D3 level and looked for the presence of HPV by PCR in our population. 90.6% had low serum 25(OH)D3 levels and HPV was found in 41% of cases. In this regard, the data in the literature are discordant. Vitamin D status could explain the concomitance of the two conditions, breast cancer and HPV; it would be desirable to broaden the sample in order to better define its impact.

Changes in Growth, Morphology, and Physiology of Tetrahymena pyriformis Exposed to Continuous Cesium-137 and Cobalt-60 Gamma-Radiation.

This study investigated the effects of gamma-radiation on Tetrahymena pyriformis. The experimental approach consists of exposing T. pyriformis growing in presence of Cesium-137 (137Cs) at dose rates of 1, 2, 4, and 6 cGy h-1 and Cobalt-60 (60Co) at dose rates of 8, 10, 15, and 20 cGy h-1. The radiation doses effects on growth, morphology, some metabolic enzymes, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) markers have been evaluated. When cells were growing in irradiating conditions at dose rates beyond 4 cGy h-1, a decreasing of cells and generation numbers with a prolongation of generation time and a change of morphological aspect with rounding-off of cells were observed compared to the control. The 50%-inhibitory dose (ID50) for radiation was estimated at 1568.72 ± 158.45 cGy. The gamma-radiation at dose rates more than 6 cGy h-1, affected both glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase by inhibiting their activities. All of these effects were more pronounced when cells were irradiated at the dose rate of 20 cGy h-1 using 60Co source. For ROS markers generated by gamma-radiation in T. pyriformis, the results showed an increase of the lipid peroxidation in cells grown in presence of gamma-radiation at dose rates more than 6 cGy h-1 and an enhancement in catalase and superoxide dismutase activities from the dose rate of 1 cGy h-1. These encouraging results suggested the use of T. pyriformis as a unicellular model cell to investigate other aspects of the response to ionizing radiation.

Protective Effect of Some Essential Oils Against Gamma-Radiation Damages in Tetrahymena pyriformis Exposed to Cobalt-60 Source.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Rosmarinus officinalis, Origanum compactum, Lavandula angustifolia, and Eucalyptus globulus essential oils (EOs) against gamma-radiation-induced damages on Tetrahymena pyriformis growing in presence of cobalt-60 source. The chemical composition of the 4 EOs was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The protective effects of EOs on growth, on morphology, and on some metabolic enzymes and antioxidant markers have been evaluated. Thus, addition of EOs significantly improves the growth parameters (generation number and time) in irradiating conditions. All EOs allowed restoring growth parameters over more than 90% compared to the controls. The morphological analysis indicated that T. pyriformis cells growing in irradiating conditions were able to regain their normal form in presence of the different EOs. Our results indicate that the 4 EOs also have protective effects on some metabolic enzymes. They allowed recovering totally or partially the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase and the succinate dehydrogenase activities compared to the controls. Moreover, the addition of EOs reduced the lipid peroxidation level and decreased the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase induced by the gamma-radiation exposure. A more pronounced protective effect was found for O. compactum and L. angustifolia EOs compared to R. officinalis and E. globulus EOs. These results suggest that the studied EOs are efficient natural antioxidants that could offer protection against gamma-radiation-induced damages and can therefore be useful in clinical medicine.

CD4+ regulatory T cells and CD4+ activated T cells in new active and relapse tuberculosis.

The aim of the present study was to examine characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) patients with different clinical forms and to study the frequency of Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and Activated T cells in patients with new active and relapse TB. Forty-five pulmonary TB patients and a control group of 15 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. Of the 45 TB patients, 15 were new cases with drug-susceptible active TB and 30 were relapsed cases (15 drug-susceptible and 15 multidrug resistant-TB). The age of study participants ranged from 21 to 68 years old. According to sex presentation, males were appreciably highly affected than females with a sex ratio of 2. The patients reported a mean recent weight loss of 8.9 kg. The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was high in TB group, far exceeding the normal value. The results revealed that the number of CD3+ CD4+ T-cells significantly decreased whereas the level of blood Treg cells and expression of activation markers CD38 and HLA-DR on CD4+ T-cells significantly increased in TB group compared with the control group (p<0.05). The frequency of Treg cells was significantly higher in the TB group than the control group. Both the patients with new active TB and relapse TB demonstrated significantly higher levels of CD4+FoxP3+ Treg compared to healthy subjects (p<0.05). A high and significant percentage of Treg cells were found in patients with DS active TB than patients with MDR relapse TB. Interestingly, the frequency of CD4+FoxP3+ cells also differs according to the sputum smear microscopy status. The presence of high numbers of Treg cells and corresponding high immune activation may be an unfavourable factor that can predispose individuals to different clinical forms of TB, including relapse TB.

Outcome of inflammatory breast cancer in Moroccan patients: clinical, molecular and pathological characteristics of 219 cases from the National Oncology Institute (INO).

BACKGROUND: Usually misdiagnosed, Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive form of non-metastatic breast cancer. This orphan disease is more frequent in North Africa. Despite intensive treatment, the survival rate remains very low. METHODS: We have retrospectively studied all breast cancer cases diagnosed at the National Oncology Institute (INO), Rabat between 2005 and 2010. We have collected 219 cases of women with metastatic and non-metastatic IBC. Data have been obtained from patients' personal medical files over a follow-up period of 5 years. We have described IBC's clinicopathological features and analyzed its clinical outcome using SPSS software. HR (hazard Ratio) was calculated using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The frequency of IBC cases is 4.05%. The majority of our patients (65.3%) were under 50 years old. The most prevalent molecular subtype was Luminal A (38.7%) followed by Luminal B HER2+ (27.9%) and Triple negative (21.6%). During the follow-up period, 72 patients (32.9%) had recurrence and 40 patients (18.3%) died. The 3-year OS (Overall Survival) and EFS (Event Free Survival) of non-metastatic patients were 70.4 and 46.5% respectively, while in the metastatic disease, the 3-year OS was only 41.9%. In non-metastatic women, we observed a higher rate of EFS associated to Selective estrogen receptor modulation treatment (p = 0.01), and a lower rate EFS in triple negative breast cancer patients (p = 0.02). In univariate analysis, we found that EFS rate is lower in patients presenting Triple Negative tumors when compared to other molecular subtypes (HR: 3.54; 95%CI: 1.13-11.05; p = 0.02). We also found that Selective estrogen receptor modulation treatment is associated with higher EFS rate (HR: 0.48; 95%CI: 0.07-0.59; p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: IBC in Morocco shows similar characteristics to those in North African countries; however, survival rates are still the highest when compared with neighboring countries. Collaborative studies with prospective aspects are warranted to establish the epidemiological profile and understand the high frequencies of IBC in North Africa. More studies on molecular markers are also needed to improve IBC patients' management and eventually their survival rate.

Association of p53 Codon 72 Polymorphism with Breast Cancer in a Rwandese Population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A common polymorphism in the tumor suppressor gene p53 at codon 72 has been suggested to play a role in the development of a number of cancers. This polymorphism has been studied in many populations worldwide, with conflicting results. The present study was planned to assess the association of p53 codon 72 polymorphism with breast cancer development in a Rwandese population. METHODS: In this study, the polymorphism was examined by allele-specific PCR analysis in 40 patients with breast cancer and 39 healthy controls. RESULTS: The heterozygous genotype Pro/Arg prevailed in both breast cancer patients and controls, and was present in 80% (32/40) and 92.3% (36/39) of cases, respectively. No statistically significant association was observed between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and breast cancer risk. Distribution of p53 genotypes was also studied according to familial history, tumor grade, and clinical stage, and results clearly showed no statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that p53 codon 72 polymorphism could not be assessed as a risk factor marker for predisposition to breast cancer in Rwanda. However, further studies using larger sample sizes are needed to provide more conclusive results and to investigate other genetic mutations affecting the activity of p53.

Molecular characterization of mutations associated with resistance to second-line tuberculosis drug among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients from high prevalence tuberculosis city in Morocco.

BACKGROUND: The emergence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has raised public health concern for global TB control. Although multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR- TB) prevalence and associated genetic mutations in Morocco are well documented, scarce information on XDR TB is available. Hence, the evaluation of pre-XDR and XDR prevalence, as well as the mutation status of gyrA, gyrB, rrs, tlyA genes and eis promoter region, associated with resistance to second line drugs, is of great value for better management of M/XDR TB in Morocco. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate pre-XDR and XDR prevalence, as well as the mutation status of gyrA, gyrB, rrs, tlyA genes and eis promoter region, associated with resistance to second line drug resistance, in 703 clinical isolates from TB patients recruited in Casablanca, and to assess the usefulness of molecular tools in clinical laboratories for better management of M/XDR TB in Morocco. METHODS: Drug susceptibility testing (DST) was performed by the proportional method for first line drugs, and then the selected MDR isolates were tested for second line drugs (Ofloxacin, Kanamycin, Amikacin and Capreomycin). Along with DST, all samples were subjected to rpoB, katG and p-inhA mutation analysis by PCR and DNA sequencing. MDR isolates as well as 30 pan-susceptible strains were subjected to PCR and DNA sequencing of gyrA, gyrB, rrs, tlyA genes and eis promoter, associated with resistance to fluoroquinolones and injectable drugs. RESULTS: Among the 703 analysed strains, 12.8% were MDR; Ser531Leu and Ser315Thr being the most common recorded mutations within rpoB and katG genes associated with RIF and INH resistance respectively. Drug susceptibility testing for second line drugs showed that among the 90 MDR strains, 22.2% (20/90) were resistant to OFX, 2.22% (2/90) to KAN, 3.33% (3/90) to AMK and 1.11% (1/90) to CAP. Genotypic analysis revealed that 19 MDR strains harbored mutations in the gyrA gene; the most recorded mutation being Asp91Ala accounting for 47.6% (10/21), and 2 isolates harbored mutations in the promoter region of eis gene. No mutation was found in gyrB, rrs and tlyA genes. Moreover, none of the pan-susceptible isolates displayed mutations in targeted genes. CONCLUSION: Most of mutations associated with SLD resistance occurred in gyrA gene (codons 90-94) and eis promoter region. These findings highlight the impact of mutations in gyrA on the development of fluroquinolones resistance and provide the first estimates of the proportion of pre-XDR-TB among MDR-TB cases in Morocco.

HPV and cofactors for invasive cervical cancer in Morocco: a multicentre case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Limited national information is available in Morocco on the prevalence and distribution of HPV-sub-types of cervical cancer and the role of other risk factors. The aim was to determine the frequency of HPV-sub-types of cervical cancer in Morocco and investigate risk factors for this disease. METHODS: Between November 2009 and April 2012 a multicentre case-control study was carried out. A total of 144 cases of cervical cancer and 288 age-matched controls were included. Odds-ratios and corresponding confidence-intervals were computed by conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: Current HPV infection was detected in 92.5% of cases and 13.9% of controls. HPV16 was the most common type for both cases and controls. Very strong associations between HPV-sub-types and cervical cancer were observed: total-HPV (OR = 39), HPV16 (OR = 49), HPV18 (OR = 31), and multiple infections (OR = 13). Education, high parity, sexual intercourse during menstruation, history of sexually transmitted infections, and husband's multiple sexual partners were also significantly associated with cervical cancer in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results could be used to establish a primary prevention program and to prioritize limited screening to women who have specific characteristics that may put them at an increased risk of cervical cancer.

Inula Viscosa Extracts Induces Telomere Shortening and Apoptosis in Cancer Cells and Overcome Drug Resistance.

Telomerase is activated in human papillomavirus (HPV) positive cervical cancer and targeting telomeres offers a novel anticancer therapeutic strategy. In this study, the telomere targeting properties, the cytotoxic as well as the pro-apoptotic effects of hexane (IV-HE) and dichloromethane (IV-DF) fractions from Inula viscosa L. extracts were investigated on human cervical HeLa and SiHa cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that IV-HE and IV-DF extracts were able to inhibit cell growth in HeLa and SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner and studied resistant cell lines exhibited a resistance factor less than 2 when treated with the extracts. IV-HE and IV-DF extracts were able to inhibit telomerase activity and to induce telomere shortening as shown by telomeric repeat amplification protocol and TTAGGG telomere length assay, respectively. The sensitivity of fibroblasts to the extracts was increased when telomerase was expressed. Finally, IV-HE and IV-DF were able to induce apoptosis as evidenced by an increase in annexin-V labeling and caspase-3 activity. This study provides the first evidence that the IV-HE and IV-DF extracts from Inula viscosa L. target telomeres induce apoptosis and overcome drug resistance in tumor cells. Future studies will focus on the identification of the molecules involved in the anticancer activity.

Human papillomavirus genotypes distribution by cervical cytologic status among women attending the General Hospital of Loandjili, Pointe-Noire, Southwest Congo (Brazzaville).

HPV infection is associated with cervical cancer, one of the major public health problems in developing countries. In the Republic of Congo, despite of the high age-standardized incidence rate estimated at 25.2 per 100,000 women, molecular epidemiology data on HPV infections are very limited. We investigated HPV genotypes distribution in cervical smears among patients attending the General Hospital of Loandjili, Southwest Congo. A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted on 321 women. Liquid-based cytology samples were collected for cytological diagnosis and HPV detection. Nested-PCR was performed using MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ primers with genotyping by direct sequencing. Type-specific PCR for HPV-6, -11, -16, -18, -31 and -33 was also used to assess multiple infections. Out of 321 women examined, 189 (58.8%) had normal cytology, 16 (5.0%) had ASCUS and 116 (36.1%) had cytological abnormalities. HPV-DNA was detected in 22 (11.6%), 6 (37.5%), and 104 (89.6%) normal cytology, ASCUS and cytological abnormalities respectively. HPV16 was the most prevalent genotype regardless of cytological status followed by HPV70 in women without lesions and HPV33 among those with lesions. HR-HPV prevalence varied significantly according to the cervical cytology (P = 0.000). Among women without lesions, two peaks of HPV infections were observed in age group less than 30 years (60.0%) and in age group 50-59 years (7.1%). Age, age of first sex, multiple sexual partners and pregnancies were the risk factors for HPV infection in women without lesions. Our findings could be used as evidence data base for future epidemiological monitoring in this region.

Physical activity and dietary habits among Moroccan adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to detail the lifestyle (physical activity and dietary habits) of Moroccan adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study undertaken in the framework of the ATLS (Arab Teens Lifestyle Study). SETTING: Physical activity and dietary habits were determined using a validated questionnaire in public secondary schools. SUBJECTS: A total of 669 adolescents aged 15.0-19.9 years were randomly recruited from Kenitra, Morocco. RESULTS: Physical activity patterns and intensity differed between genders. As anticipated, male adolescents were more active than female adolescents across a typical week and engaged in more vigorous-intensity physical activity than female adolescents, who spent more time than male adolescents in moderate-intensity physical activity. Of particular concern was that one in five of the adolescents surveyed was inactive, with almost 45% of the sample reporting television viewing for more than 2 h/d and 38% engaged in computer use for a similar period. From a dietary perspective, most adolescents reported that they do not take breakfast or consume milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. In contrast, most reported consumption of doughnuts, cakes, candy and chocolate more than three times per week and approximately 50% consumed sugary drinks more than three times per week. CONCLUSIONS: Based on a continuation of the self-reported lifestyle behaviours, adolescents in the present study are at risk of developing chronic diseases. Education programmes are urgently needed to assist in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and reduce the likelihood of overweight and obesity and related health risks among young people.

Pesticide residues in traditional and industrial honey marketed in Morocco and potential health risk.

This study evaluated the presence of the three pesticides methomyl (MET), carbendazim (CBZ) and chlorpyrifos-ethyl (CPE), as well as the degradation product of CPE (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol; TCP), in 44 honey samples from all 12 regions of Morocco. With a validated HPLC-UV method occurrence frequencies of 63.6% for MET, 54.5% for CBZ, 95.1% for CPE and 34.1% for TCP were obtained, even at concentrations higher than the maximum residue limits for MET, CPE and TCP. Based on the predominant pesticide, principal component analysis separated sampling regions into three groups. Risk assessment indicated that ingestion of these pesticides, alone or in combination, in honey did not pose a risk to consumers (HQ and HI < 1).

Analysis of mutations in the E6 oncogene of human papillomavirus 16 in cervical cancer isolates from Moroccan women.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) play a crucial role in the etiology of cervical cancer and the most prevalent genotype is HPV16. HPV 16 intratypic variants have been reported to differ in their prevalence, biological and biochemical properties. The present study was designed to analyze and identify HPV type 16 E6 variants among patients with cervical cancer in Morocco. METHODS: A total of 103 HPV16 positive samples were isolated from 129 cervical cancer cases, and variant status was subsequently determined by DNA sequencing of the E6 gene. RESULTS: Isolates from patients were grouped into the European (E), African (Af) and North-American (NA1) phylogenetic clusters with a high prevalence of E lineage (58.3%). The Af and NA1 variants were detected in 31.1% and 11.6% of the HPV16 positive specimens, respectively, whereas, only 3% of cases were prototype E350T. No European-Asian (EA), Asian (As) or Asian-American (AA) variants were observed in our HPV16-positive specimens. At the amino acid level, the most prevalent non-synonymous variants were L83V (T350G), H78Y (C335T), E113D (A442C), Q14D (C143G/G145T) and R10I (G132T), and were observed respectively in 65%, 41.8%, 38.8%, 30.1% and 23.3% of total samples.Moreover, HPV16 European variants were mostly identified in younger women at early clinical diagnosis stages. Whereas, HPV16 Af variants were most likely associated with cervical cancer development in older women with pronounced aggressiveness. CONCLUSION: This study suggests a predominance of E lineage strains among Moroccan HPV 16 isolates and raises the possibility that HPV16 variants have a preferential role in progression to malignancy and could be associated with the more aggressive nature of cervical cancer.

Genetic Polymorphisms in ERCC1 Gene and Their Association with Response to Radiotherapy in Moroccan Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a severe malignant disease. Despite its low frequency, NPC is very common in North African population. Radiotherapy is the standard therapeutic treatment of NPC. However, radioresistance hampers the success of treatment. At the molecular scale, radioresistance is due to genetic variations involved in DNA repair pathways in NPC patients. Several studies reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in excision repair cross complementing group 1 (ERCC1) could be associated with radioresistance. In this optic, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between DNA repair gene polymorphisms ERCC1 C8092A and ERCC1 C118T and radiotherapy response of patients with NPC. METHODS: A total of 95 patients with confirmed NPC were recruited at the Mohammed VI Center for Cancer Treatment, Casablanca - Morocco between 2016 and 2018. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms in ERCC1 gene were genotyped. Multiple analysis software was used to assess the correlation between these SNPs and radio-therapeutic response. RESULTS: Sequencing of ERCC1 C8092A polymorphism revealed that CC and CA genotypes were found in 51.6% and 45.3% of cases, respectively, whereas the homozygote AA genotype was reported in only 3.1% of cases. For ERCC1 C118T polymorphism, the heterozygote CT genotype was identified in 49.5% of cases. Homozygotes genotypes CC and TT were detected in 17.9% and 32.6% respectively of NPC cases. Of note, no significant association was found between the ERCC1 C8092A polymorphism and response to radiation therapy (p=0.81). Similarly, there was no significant association between the response to radiotherapy and allelic distribution (p=0.56). Likewise, no correlation was observed neither with genotypes (p=0.07) nor with alleles (p=0.09) of ERCC1 C118T polymorphism and response to radiation therapy. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly showed that ERCC1 C8092A and ERCC1 C118T polymorphisms were not associated with response to radiotherapy in Moroccan NPC patients. Large studies are warranted to confirm the role of these SNPs in therapeutic response of NPC patients.

Prevalence of Polyomaviruses and Herpesviruses in Moroccan Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, accounting for 24.5% of total new cancer cases and 15.5% of total cancer deaths. Similarly, BC is the most common cancer among Moroccan women, comprising a noteworthy percentage of 40% of all cancers in women. Globally, 15% of cancers are attributable to infections; among them, viruses play a significant role. The present study aimed to explore the presence of a wide range of viral DNA in samples recovered from 76 Moroccan patients with BC and 12 controls using Luminex technology. The explored viruses were as follows: 10 polyomaviruses (PyVs): BKV, KIV, JCV, MCV, WUV, TSV, HPyV6, HPyV7, HPyV9, and SV40; and 5 Herpesviruses (HHVs): CMV, EBV1, EBV2, HSV1, and HSV2. Our results revealed the presence of PyVs DNA in both control (16.7%) and BC tissues (18.4%). Nonetheless, HHV DNA was detected exclusively in BC tissues (23.7%), with a predominance of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (21%). In conclusion, our study highlights the presence of EBV in human BC tissues, which may play an important role in its development and/or progression. Further investigations are needed to confirm the presence/co-presence of these viruses in BC.

Epidemiological, Clinicopathological and Prognosis Features of Moroccan Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

PROPOSAL: A distinct epidemiology, etiology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic outcomes characterize nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from other head and neck cancers. An actualized analysis of NPC patients' features enables a global view of NPC management. Accordingly, the current study investigated the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Moroccan patients with NPC, as well as their 4-years survival outcomes and influencing prognostic factors. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed data of 142 histologically confirmed Moroccan patients with NPC between October 2016 and February 2019. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess predictive prognostic factors related to NPC. All analyses were conducted using SPSS version 21 statistical software. RESULTS: In the present study, a net male predominance was found, with a mean age of 44±16.3 years old. Advanced stages of NPC were observed in 64.1% of patients, and 32.4% of patients presented with distant metastasis at diagnosis. The 4-years overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival and progression-free survival were 68.0%, 63.0%, 53.9%, and 39.9%, respectively. Age, N category and distant metastasis were identified as the most important independent prognosis factors for NPC in this cohort (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, NPC affects young adults and is frequently diagnosed at advanced disease stages, impacting therefore negatively patients survival; which is in line with data from endemic areas for NPC. The current study clearly highlights that a greater attention should be directed to improving the management of this aggressive malignancy.