Anti-inflammatory effects of diet and caloric restriction in metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Weight loss in patients with metabolic syndrome has positive effects on cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes risks, but its effects on peripheral cytokines and lipid profiles in patients are still unclear. AIM: To determine the effects of diet-induced weight loss on metabolic parameters, lipids and cytokine profiles. METHODS: Eighteen adult males with metabolic syndrome (defined according to IDF 2009) and Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25 and 35 kg/m2 were subjected to a balanced hypocaloric diet for 6 months to reach at least a 5% body weight loss. RESULTS: After weight loss, a significant improvement in BMI, waist circumference, insulin, fasting blood glucose and HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) was observed. The analysis of LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) lipoproteins showed a change in their composition with a massive transfer of triacylglycerols from HDL to LDL. This was associated with a significant reduction in peripheral pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8 and MIP-1ß, leading to an overall decreased inflammatory score. An interesting positive correlation was also observed among peripheral cytokines levels after diet and peripheral levels of CETP (cholesteryl ester transfer protein), an enzyme with a key role in lipid change. CONCLUSION: Weight loss through caloric restriction is associated with an improvement in peripheral lipid and cytokine profiles that may play a major role in improving cardiovascular risk.

[Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes in Djibouti]. / Sous-types du virus de l'immunodéficience humaine de type 1 a Djibouti.

The authors had for aim to study the distribution of HIV-1 subtypes in a cohort of HIV positive patients in the hospital General Peltier of Djibouti. An epidemiological study was made on 40 HIV-1 positive patients followed up in the Infectious Diseases Department over three months. All patients sample were subtyped by genotyping. Thirty-five patients (15 men and 20 women) were found infected by an HIV-1 strain belonging to the M group. Genotyping revealed that - 66% of samples were infected with subtype C, 20% with CRF02_AG, 8.5% with B, 2.9% with CRF02_AG/C and 2.9% with K/C. In fact, Subtype C prevalence has been described in the Horn of Africa and a similar prevalence was previously reported in Djibouti. However our study describes the subtype B in Djibouti for the first time. It is the predominant subtype in the Western world. The detection of CRF02_AG strains indicates that they are still circulating in Djibouti, the only country in East Africa in which this recombinant virus was found. CRF02_AG recombinant isolates were primarily described in West and Central Africa. The presence of this viral heterogeneity, probably coming from the mixing of populations in Djibouti, which is an essential economic and geographical crossroads, incites us to vigilance in the surveillance of this infection.

Association of stromal cell-derived factor-1-3'A polymorphism to higher mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ in Tunisian population.

We explored the influence of polymorphisms in genes encoding the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12 in a cohort of Tunisian patients with malignant hematologic diseases multiple myeloma [MM], non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL], Hodgkin's disease, and acute myeloid leukemia [AML], who underwent stem cell mobilization for autologous transplantation versus a group of healthy donors for allogeneic transplantation. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLp) analysis was used for rapid identification of genotypes. Significant associations for SDF1-3'A polymorphism were observed exclusively in patients with MM and NHL. While there was a lack of all association of SDF-1 polymorphism with AML patients. However, considering that the ability of mobilization varies among subjects, we have observed that the SDF1-3'A allele was associated with good mobilization capacity. Interestingly, the association was mainly observed among healthy allogeneic transplant donors where the analysis was not biased by background disease or chemotherapy (P=.010; odds ratio=2.603; confidence interval [95%]=1.239-5.466).

[A contribution to a study of apoptosis of hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ by flow cytometry before and after cryopreservation]. / Contribution à l'étude de l'apoptose par la cytométrie en flux des cellules souches hématopoïétiques CD34+ avant et après le processus de congélation.

Apoptosis represents a particular form of programmed cell death which appears in all the damaged cells and potentially hazardous. It plays a crucial role in the development of multicellular organisms by assuring and maintaining the cellular homeostasis. Thus, apoptosis intervenes not only in the normal process of organisms' development but also in immune defence and in cancerous cells detection. Indeed, any blockage in the program of the apoptotic machinery would be responsible of some neurodegenerative and auto-immune diseases and could play a crucial role in different steps of carcinogenesis. Some researchers were very interested in studying apoptosis in hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ which could be intended to be reinfused to patients suffering from malignant diseases. They have noted that kinetic study of apoptosis of the hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ after the process of cryoconservation is also necessary. Such study permits to quantify the real and exact number of the viable hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ and therefore to eliminate such risk which would be associated with the reinfusion of apoptotic cells to patients. In this paper, we describe our contribution to hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ study by flow cytometry before and after cryopreservation by using annexin V as a specific probe allowing detection of phosphatidyl serine, one of the major features of apoptosis. But, we have noted a pronounced induction of apoptosis in peripheral mobilized blood compared to cytapheresis (after cryopreservation: 29.79% of apoptotic HSC CD34+ in peripheral mobilized blood but only 11.67% apoptotic HSC CD34+ in cytapheresis). Besides, we have noticed that hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ have had a statute of viability better than other mononuclear cells. These results put in value the reliability, the simplicity and the efficiency of flow cytometry for the analysis of apoptosis in hematopoietic stem cells CD34+ by following the intensity of fluorescence of annexin V.