[Determination of some usual and frequent values in clinical biochemistry in a Polynesian population sample. Comparison with French reference values]. / Détermination de quelques valeurs usuelles fréquentes en biochimie clinique dans un échantillon de populations polynésiennes. Comparaison avec les valeurs de référence françaises.

The normal values for glucose, urea, uric acid and creatinine in serum have been determined in a selected Polynesian population. The results are similar for obese or non-obese subjects as well as for the people living in Papeete. A comparison between these data and the French standard values reveals significant differences in regard to glucose, urea and uric acid.

[Malaria, anemia and nutritional status: longitudinal study of their interaction in a sahelian zone (Senegal)]. / Paludisme, anémie et état nutritionnel: étude longitudinale et interactions en zone sahélienne (Sénégal).

Two villages in the sahelian zone of the Senegal river Basin, were surveyed during one year. On 5 occasions (May, July, October 1982, January, March 1983) 200 persons were clinically examined and a parasitological (parasite rate and specific antibodies), haematological and biochemical examination was done. At the same time an entomological survey was performed. The two vectors were Anopheles gambiae ss. and A. arabiensis with a predominance of the first. Although the number of infective bites is low, the transmission risk is high, at least one a year. The parasite rate is low (15%) with almost no seasonal variation although transmission occurs only during 3-4 months. Correspondingly low titres of malaria antibodies are present. The nutritional status of the population is on the limit of normal. It was not possible to make significant correlations between malaria and the nutritional status except for anaemia where evolution seems to be more related to malaria than to nutrition.

[Biochemical characterization and study of the sensitivity to Plasmodium falciparum infection. Apropos of a case of double CN Baltimore hemoglobinopathy discovered in Senegal]. / Caractérisation biochimique et étude de la sensibilité à l'infection par Plasmodium falciparum. A propos d'un cas de double hémoglobinose CN Baltimore découvert au Sénégal.

The discovery of a double CNBalt hemoglobinopathy allowed the authors, after a family background investigation, to study the possible biological effects linked to that dual heterozygoty and to look for a protection against Plasmodium falciparum infections. It hasn't been possible to make evident any protection.

[Interepidemic surveillance of a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus in Senegal]. / Surveillance interépidémique d'un foyer de leishmaniose cutanée au Sénégal.

The cutaneous leishmaniasis is rampant in an endemo -epidemic way in the region of Thiès, Senegal. At the occasion of an epidemic observed between 1975 and 1978, the ecological study of the focus of Keur Moussa , led by Dedet and al., permitted to discover, for the first time in West Africa, the structure of a cutaneous leishmaniasis focus. The most important part of the present laboratory work consists in the observation of that wild anthropozoonosis due to Leishmania tropica major, having as vector Phlebotomus duboscqi and the rodents Mastomys erythroleucus , Tatera gambiana and Arvicanthis niloticus as reservoir. The close study of the reservoir populations and of the vectors should enable us to avoid a new epidemic outburst.

Antibody to hepatitis B virus surface and core antigens in Gambia pouched rats (Cricetomys Gambianus).

Sera from 108 Cricetomys gambianus (Gambia pouched rat) were investigated for HBV and HAV serum markers. 42.6% of them evidenced anti-HBs and 12.0% anti-HBc. HBs Ag was never detected. The most probable hypothesis is that these animals were infected with a new virus related to HBV.