[Hepatitis A virus immune status of Antilles military personnel: incidence after prophylaxis]. / Statut immunologique des militaires d'origine antillaise vis-à-vis du virus de i'hépatite A: incidence sur la prophylaxie.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the value of systematic vaccination of recruits from French overseas departments and territories (DOM-TOM) against hepatitis A. Between July 1994 and May 1995 tests to defect anti-HVA antibodies were performed on all new recruits from the French West Indies (Guadeloupe and Martinique). Of the 1685 subjects tested 346 presented type IgG anti-HVA antibodies, i.e. 20.5% overall. Seroprevalence increased from 4% in 18 year-olds to 35% in 25 year-olds and was significantly higher in recruits from Gaudeloupe (26.7%) than from Martinique (15.6%) (p < 0.001). The overall seroprevalence rate was similar to the rate observed in young recruits from mainland France in 1990. These findings indicate that hepatitis A has decreased in the French West Indies in agreement with improvements with sanitary and housing conditions. This study also supports vaccination of recruits from DOM-TOM against hepatitis A after control of their immune status.

[Complete branch blocks in asymptomatic patients]. / Les blocs de branche complets chez les sujets asymptomatiques.

Basing themselves on their personal experience and a review of the international literature, the authors study complete bundle branch blocks in asymptomatic subjects. They show that before the age of 50 these complete bundle branch blocks rarely progress towards a complete A-V block. They emphasise the excellent prognosis in the long term for isolated right or left blocks without obvious signs of cardiovascular disease and they cite cases of prolonged survival (20 to 40 years after discovery of the bundle branch block).

[Malignant thymoma and paroxystal peripheral disease, a case report (author's transl)]. / Thymome malin et acrosyndromes vasculaires paroxystiques: une observation.

Report in a 68 years old man of the association of erythermalgia and malignant thymoma. Improvement of erythermalgia after resection of the thymoma is demonstrative of paraneoplasic syndrome. Tumoral secretion of serotonine is suggested by ultrastructural features of the tumour and increasement of urinary 5 HIAA.

[Long-term administration of calcium-heparin in thromboembolism (author's transl)]. / Traitement au long cours de la maladie thrombo-embolique par l'héparinate de calcium.

The profound importance of thrombosis in natural history of venous and arterial thromboembolism justifies long-term use of heparin, the best antithrombotic agent. Through the study of 88 cases concerning patients treated by subcutaneous calcium-heparin for a time from 3 months to 6 years, in several indications of venous and arterial thromboembolism, we can bring the following results: - The treatment is easily accepted when patients are inquired and trained. The doses must be adapted according to clotting assays, which do no more restrain patients than during oral anticoagulant treatment. - The frequency of hemorrhagic complications is the same than during antivitamine K treatments. - Thrombosis occur rarely during heparin therapy, but with high frequency during oral anticoagulant treatments. - Osteoporosis is a real but acceptable risk (10 p. cent) of long-term heparin prescription. - The true limit of treatment is the frequency (34 p. cent) of cutaneous hypersensibility reactions with high blood eosinophilia rate. Always mild, this reaction is related to the subcutaneous administration, and heparin is likely not the single impeached substance. These undesirable effects bind us to their thorough study, in order to obtain better tolerated drugs.