Eleven human platelet systems studied in the Vietnamese and Ma'ohis Polynesian populations.

The frequencies of human platelet antigens (HPA) are variable among different ethnic groups. Platelet phenotyping and genotyping in different populations are important to the clinical implications of antiplatelet alloimmunization. No report on HPA prevalence has been published concerning the Vietnamese Kinh and Ma'ohis Polynesian populations. Recent anthropological and genetic marker studies suggest that these two groups have a common origin in East Asia, so we have conducted a combined study concerning the frequency of HPA-1 to HPA-11w systems (excluding HPA-8w) and Gov in these two populations. The results demonstrate a similar pattern of prevalence between Ma'ohis and most of the Asian populations. However, it should be noted that the frequency of HPA-2 is closer to northern Caucasian frequencies than to Asian frequencies. The population of Kinh shows an HPA distribution that is closer to the Chinese population than to the northeastern Thais except for HPA-3, closer to the Indonesian population. Given HPA-3 gene frequency distribution fetomaternal incompatibility could occur more frequently with the risk of alloantibody production.

Association of D2 dopamine receptor and alcohol dehydrogenase 2 genes with Polynesian alcoholics.

Alleles of the D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) and the alcohol dehydrogenase 2 (ADH2) genes were determined in 69 French Polynesian alcoholic patients and 57 controls matched for racial origin. Three racial groups were studied: pure Polynesians (PP), Polynesians mixed with Caucasian (PCA) ancestry and Polynesians mixed with Chinese (PCH) ancestry. DRD2 A1 allele frequencies in the alcoholics compared to their controls in these groups were: PP,.26 vs.32 (P =. 69); PCA,.44 vs.35 (P =.46); PCH,.40 vs 0.39 (P =.88). ADH2 1 allele frequencies in alcoholics compared to their controls groups were: PP, .56 vs.62 (P =.66); PCA,.75 vs.56 (P =.09); PCH,.78 vs.32 (P =.009). In the PCA group, the combination of the DRD2 A1 genotypes and the ADH2 1 homozygotes was strongly associated with alcoholism (P =. 0027). This preliminary study shows the importance of ascertaining racial ancestry in molecular genetic association studies. Moreover, it suggests that a combination of genes are involved in susceptibility to the development of alcoholism.

[Dengue outbreak by virus type 4 in French Polynesia. I. General epidemiology - clinical specific aspects (author's transl)]. / La dengue due au virus de type 4 en Polynésie Francaise. I.--Epidémiologie générale aspects cliniques particuliers.

Authors describe an extensive outbreak of dengue 4 virus which is observed for the first time out of its Asian original focus. The whole archipelagos of French Polynesia have been contaminated in a space of four months. Usual form of the disease is typical with lightness of the symptoms. This outbreak has been implicated in the death of a child by shock; and two cases of reversible encephalitis have been certainly caused by this virus. The neurotropism is the main characteristic of dengue virus type 4.

[Dengue outbreak by virus type 4 in French Polynesia. II. Preliminary biological observations on epidemiology and physiopathology of the disease (author's transl)]. / La dengue due au virus de type 4 en Polynèsie Francaise. II.--Observations biologiques liminaires sur quelques points prècis d'èpidèmiologie et de physiopathologie.

Authors report some accurate epidemiologic and physiopathologic data about dengue 4. Thanks to virus intrathoracic inoculation in Toxorhynchites amboinensis (Doleshall, 1857), 202 viral strains have been isolated from 633 sera samples. The incidence of the disease has decreased very early after immunization of the whole population and resulted in an eradication of dengue type 1 virus which was endemic in French Polynesia since 1976. Only one type of dengue virus seems to be tolerated in French Polynesian ecosystem in the same time. There is no crossing protection with dengue 1. Clinically, the picture has been the same in both new and previously infected by dengue 1 patients. Duration of viremia during the secondary dengue fever is not shorter than in the primary one. The hemagglutination inhibiting antibodies do not protect patients, but do not result in immune-complexes pathology.

[Neurologic complications of ciguatera]. / Complication neurologique de la ciguatera.

The authors report a case of severe two phases fish poisoning, treated at hospital and ruled by a complex neurological picture with both central and peripheric manifestations. The detailed data, they have got about the disease, are an opportunity to discuss the various pathogenic procedures of human ciguatera.