Phase quantification using deep neural network processing of XRD patterns.

Mineral identification and quantification are key to the understanding and, hence, the capacity to predict material properties. The method of choice for mineral quantification is powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), generally using a Rietveld refinement approach. However, a successful Rietveld refinement requires preliminary identification of the phases that make up the sample. This is generally carried out manually, and this task becomes extremely long or virtually impossible in the case of very large datasets such as those from synchrotron X-ray diffraction computed tomography. To circumvent this issue, this article proposes a novel neural network (NN) method for automating phase identification and quantification. An XRD pattern calculation code was used to generate large datasets of synthetic data that are used to train the NN. This approach offers significant advantages, including the ability to construct databases with a substantial number of XRD patterns and the introduction of extensive variability into these patterns. To enhance the performance of the NN, a specifically designed loss function for proportion inference was employed during the training process, offering improved efficiency and stability compared with traditional functions. The NN, trained exclusively with synthetic data, proved its ability to identify and quantify mineral phases on synthetic and real XRD patterns. Trained NN errors were equal to 0.5% for phase quantification on the synthetic test set, and 6% on the experimental data, in a system containing four phases of contrasting crystal structures (calcite, gibbsite, dolomite and hematite). The proposed method is freely available on GitHub and allows for major advances since it can be applied to any dataset, regardless of the mineral phases present.

Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Palate: Diagnostic and Surgical Strategy.

Pleomorphic adenoma is a benign tumor of the salivary glands. It develops preferentially in the parotid gland. The authors report a localization of a pleomorphic adenoma on the palate and discuss the value of CT scan in therapeutic strategy.

C1q and HBHA-specific IL-13 levels as surrogate plasma biomarkers for monitoring tuberculosis treatment efficacy: a cross-sectional cohort study in Paraguay.

Introduction: New diagnostic tools are needed to rapidly assess the efficacy of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate several immune biomarkers in an observational and cross-sectional cohort study conducted in Paraguay. Methods: Thirty-two patients with clinically and microbiologically confirmed PTB were evaluated before starting treatment (T0), after 2 months of treatment (T1) and at the end of treatment (T2). At each timepoint plasma levels of IFN-y, 17 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and complement factors C1q, C3 and C4 were assessed in unstimulated and Mtb-specific stimulated whole blood samples using QuantiFERON-TB gold plus and recombinant Mycobacterium smegmatis heparin binding hemagglutinin (rmsHBHA) as stimulation antigen. Complete blood counts and liver enzyme assays were also evaluated and correlated with biomarker levels in plasma. Results: In unstimulated plasma, C1q (P<0.001), C4 (P<0.001), hemoglobin (P<0.001), lymphocyte proportion (P<0.001) and absolute white blood cell count (P=0.01) were significantly higher in PTB patients at baseline than in cured patients. C1q and C4 levels were found to be related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis load in sputum. Finally, a combinatorial analysis identified a plasma host signature comprising the detection of C1q and IL-13 levels in response to rmsHBHA as a tool differentiating PTB patients from cured TB profiles, with an AUC of 0.92 (sensitivity 94% and specificity 79%). Conclusion: This observational study provides new insights on host immune responses throughout anti-TB treatment and emphasizes the role of host C1q and HBHA-specific IL-13 response as surrogate plasma biomarkers for monitoring TB treatment efficacy.

Presurgical embolization of nasopharyngeal fibroma: A case report.

Nasopharyngeal fibroma (NF) is a rare nasopharyngeal tumor of a benign histological nature but with local aggressiveness. It is a hypervascular tumor and the main feeding artery comes from the internal maxillary artery. Surgery is the treatment of choice for this tumor but carries a significant risk of bleeding from surgical treatment. Thus, embolization carried out preoperatively effectively reduces intraoperative bleeding and thereby allows complete resection for large tumors.

Interest of preoperative embolization of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC): A case report.

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a rare lesion that primarily affects young adults and children. The optimal treatment approach for ABC remains controversial and varies depending on the preferences of the medical team. While some advocate for surgery as the treatment of choice, others recommend a less invasive first-line option such as selective embolization. In this case report, we present the case of a 41-year-old female patient with an ABC in the right iliac bone who underwent surgical treatment following preoperative selective embolization. Additionally, we provide a literature review on the topic.

Using a multiplex serological assay to estimate time since SARS-CoV-2 infection and past clinical presentation in malagasy patients.

Background: The world is facing a 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this context, efficient serological assays are needed to accurately describe the humoral responses against the virus. These tools could potentially provide temporal and clinical characteristics and are thus paramount in developing-countries lacking sufficient ongoing COVID-19 epidemic descriptions. Methods: We developed and validated a Luminex xMAP® multiplex serological assay targeting specific IgM and IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike subunit 1 (S1), Spike subunit 2 (S2), Spike Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) and the Nucleocapsid protein (N). Blood samples collected periodically for 12 months from 43 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Madagascar were tested for these antibodies. A random forest algorithm was used to build a predictive model of time since infection and symptom presentation. Findings: The performance of the multiplex serological assay was evaluated for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 anti-IgG and anti-IgM antibodies. Both sensitivity and specificity were equal to 100% (89.85-100) for S1, RBD and N (S2 had a lower specificity = 95%) for IgG at day 14 after enrolment. This multiplex assay compared with two commercialized ELISA kits, showed a higher sensitivity. Principal Component Analysis was performed on serologic data to group patients according to time of sample collection and clinical presentations. The random forest algorithm built by this approach predicted symptom presentation and time since infection with an accuracy of 87.1% (95% CI = 70.17-96.37, p-value = 0.0016), and 80% (95% CI = 61.43-92.29, p-value = 0.0001) respectively. Interpretation: This study demonstrates that the statistical model predicts time since infection and previous symptom presentation using IgM and IgG response to SARS-CoV2. This tool may be useful for global surveillance, discriminating recent- and past- SARS-CoV-2 infection, and assessing disease severity. Fundings: This study was funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs through the REPAIR COVID-19-Africa project coordinated by the Pasteur International Network association. WANTAI reagents were provided by WHO AFRO as part of a Sero-epidemiological "Unity" Study Grant/Award Number: 2020/1,019,828-0 P·O 202546047 and Initiative 5% grant n°AP-5PC-2018-03-RO.

Plasma host protein signatures correlating with Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity prior to and during antituberculosis treatment.

There is a need for rapid non-sputum-based tests to identify and treat patients infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The overall objective of this study was to measure and compare the expression of a selected panel of human plasma proteins in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (ATB) throughout anti-TB treatment (from baseline to the end of treatment), in Mtb-infected individuals (TBI) and healthy donors (HD) to identify a putative host-protein signature useful for both TB diagnosis and treatment monitoring. A panel of seven human host proteins CLEC3B, SELL, IGFBP3, IP10, CD14, ECM1 and C1Q were measured in the plasma isolated from an HIV-negative prospective cohort of 37 ATB, 24 TBI and 23 HD. The protein signatures were assessed using a Luminex xMAP® to quantify the plasmatic levels in unstimulated blood of the different clinical group as well as the protein levels at baseline and at three timepoints during the 6-months ATB treatment, to compare the plasma protein levels between culture slow and fast converters that may contribute to monitor the TB treatment outcome. Protein signatures were defined using the CombiROC algorithm and multivariate models. The studied plasma host proteins showed different levels between the clinical groups and during the TB treatment. Six of the plasma proteins (CLEC3B, SELL, IGFBP3, IP10, CD14 and C1Q) showed significant differences in normalised median fluorescence intensities when comparing ATB vs HD or TBI groups while ECM1 revealed a significant difference between fast and slow sputum culture converters after 2 months following treatment (p = 0.006). The expression of a four-host protein markers (CLEC3B-ECM1-IP10-SELL) was significantly different between ATB from HD or TBI groups (respectively, p < 0.05). The expression of the same signature was significantly different between the slow vs the fast sputum culture converters after 2 months of treatment (p < 0.05). The results suggest a promising 4 host-plasma marker signature that would be associated with both TB diagnostic and treatment monitoring.

Low-cost adaptation options to support green growth in agriculture, water resources, and coastal zones.

The regional climate as it is now and in the future will put pressure on investments in sub-Saharan Africa in water resource management, fisheries, and other crop and livestock production systems. Changes in oceanic characteristics across the Atlantic Ocean will result in remarkable vulnerability of coastal ecology, littorals, and mangroves in the middle of the twenty-first century and beyond. In line with the countries' objectives of creating a green economy that allows reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved resource efficiency, and prevention of biodiversity loss, we identify the most pressing needs for adaptation and the best adaptation choices that are also clean and affordable. According to empirical data from the field and customized model simulation designs, the cost of these adaptation measures will likely decrease and benefit sustainable green growth in agriculture, water resource management, and coastal ecosystems, as hydroclimatic hazards such as pluviometric and thermal extremes become more common in West Africa. Most of these adaptation options are local and need to be scaled up and operationalized for sustainable development. Governmental sovereign wealth funds, investments from the private sector, and funding from global climate funds can be used to operationalize these adaptation measures. Effective legislation, knowledge transfer, and pertinent collaborations are necessary for their success.

Neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies with the first twin in breech presentation according to the mode of delivery: A cohort study from Dakar Senegal.

The objectives of this study were to compare perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies where the first twin was in the breech presentation. To do so, we performed a 10-year retrospective cohort study in a single university center. All patients with a twin pregnancy with the first twin in breech presentation, a gestational age greater than or equal to 34 weeks' gestation, and a birth weight <= 1500 g were included. The main outcome measures were 5-minute Apgar score <7 and perinatal mortality. We included 353 pairs of twins which complied with the inclusion criteria. One hundred and fifty (150) patients delivered vaginally while 203 pairs of twins were delivered by caesarean section. Patients who delivered abdominally were similar to those who delivered vaginally with regard to age, parity, and gestational age. Six twins A delivered vaginally and 2 delivered by caesarean section had an Apgar score < 7 (p = 0.76) whereas 12 twins B delivered vaginally and 2 delivered abdominally had an Apgar score <7 (p = 0.001). Perinatal mortality did not differ significantly between twins delivered abdominally and those delivered vaginally. There was no evidence that vaginal delivery was risky with regards to depressed Apgar scores for Twin A and neonatal mortality for breech first twins that weighed at least 1500 g. However, Twin B delivered vaginally were more likely to present with a low 5-minute Apgar score. Along with the literature, the findings of this study do not currently allow to define a consensual obstetric attitude towards management of breech first twin deliveries. Until more prospective multicenter randomized controlled studies shed light on this problem, the skills, experience and judgment of the obstetrician will play a major role in the decision-making process.

The behavioral effects of gestational and lactational benzo[a]pyrene exposure vary by sex and genotype in mice with differences at the Ahr and Cyp1a2 loci.

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and known carcinogen in the Top 10 on the United States' list of priority pollutants. Humans are exposed through a variety of sources including tobacco smoke, grilled foods and fossil fuel combustion. Recent studies of children exposed to higher levels of PAHs during pregnancy and early life have identified numerous adverse effects on the brain and behavior that persist into school age and adolescence. Our studies were designed to look for genotype and sex differences in susceptibility to gestational and lactational exposure to BaP using a mouse model with allelic differences in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2. Pregnant dams were exposed to 10 mg/kg/day of BaP in corn oil-soaked cereal or the corn oil vehicle alone from gestational day 10 until weaning at postnatal day 25. Neurobehavioral testing began at P60 using one male and one female per litter. We found main effects of sex, genotype and treatment as well as significant gene x treatment and sex x treatment interactions. BaP-treated female mice had shorter latencies to fall in the Rotarod test. BaP-treated high-affinity AhrbCyp1a2(-/-) mice had greater impairments in Morris water maze. Interestingly, poor-affinity AhrdCyp1a2(-/-) mice also had deficits in spatial learning and memory regardless of treatment. We believe our findings provide future directions in identifying human populations at highest risk of early life BaP exposure, because our model mimics known human variation in our genes of interest. Our studies also highlight the value of testing both males and females in all neurobehavioral studies.

Neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies with the first twin in breech presentation according to the mode of delivery: A cohort study from Dakar Senegal

The objectives of this study were to compare perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies where the first twin was in the breech presentation. To do so, we performed a 10-year retrospective cohort study in a single university center. All patients with a twin pregnancy with the first twin in breech presentation, a gestational age greater than or equal to 34 weeks' gestation, and a birth weight >= 1500 g were included. The main outcome measures were 5-minute Apgar score <7 and perinatal mortality. We included 353 pairs of twins which complied with the inclusion criteria. One hundred and fifty (150) patients delivered vaginally while 203 pairs of twins were delivered by caesarean section. Patients who delivered abdominally were similar to those who delivered vaginally with regard to age, parity, and gestational age. Six twins A delivered vaginally and 2 delivered by caesarean section had an Apgar score < 7 (p = 0.76) whereas 12 twins B delivered vaginally and 2 delivered abdominally had an Apgar score <7 (p = 0.001). Perinatal mortality did not differ significantly between twins delivered abdominally and those delivered vaginally. There was no evidence that vaginal delivery was risky with regards to depressed Apgar scores for Twin A and neonatal mortality for breech first twins that weighed at least 1500 g. However, Twin B delivered vaginally were more likely to present with a low 5-minute Apgar score. Along with the literature, the findings of this study do not currently allow to define a consensual obstetric attitude towards management of breech first twin deliveries. Until more prospective multicenter randomized controlled studies shed light on this problem, the skills, experience and judgment of the obstetrician will play a major role in the decision-making process. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[5]: 50-56).

[Unadjusted and customized fetal growth curves: a comparative study in a sub-Saharan population]. / Courbes de croissance fœtale non ajustées et personnalisées: une étude comparative dans une population du Sud du Sahara.

The purpose of this study was to compare the unadjusted EPOPé M0 curve with the customized Gardosi curve in the diagnosis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses in a sub-Saharan population. We compared the Gardosi et al. and EPOPé M0 classifications. Classification differences were analyzed according to patient characteristics and obstetric conditions. Data collected from FileMaker software were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and R Studio software. The statistical tests were carried out according to applicability conditions. Alpha risk was set at 0.05. The Gardosi curve showed that the rate of SGA newborns was higher (31.4% versus 28.9%) and did not differ between overweight and normal-weight women. The rate of severe SGA in preterm infants was also higher (23.6 versus 19.7%). Diseases were more frequent in newborns classified as severe SGA by the customized growth curve. The customized curve is recommended for the sub-Saharan Africa population.

Multi-country evaluation of RISK6, a 6-gene blood transcriptomic signature, for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

There is a crucial need for non-sputum-based TB tests. Here, we evaluate the performance of RISK6, a human-blood transcriptomic signature, for TB screening, triage and treatment monitoring. RISK6 performance was also compared to that of two IGRAs: one based on RD1 antigens (QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus, QFT-P, Qiagen) and one on recombinant M. tuberculosis HBHA expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis (IGRA-rmsHBHA). In this multicenter prospective nested case-control study conducted in Bangladesh, Georgia, Lebanon and Madagascar, adult non-immunocompromised patients with bacteriologically confirmed active pulmonary TB (ATB), latent TB infection (LTBI) and healthy donors (HD) were enrolled. ATB patients were followed-up during and after treatment. Blood RISK6 scores were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR and evaluated by area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC). RISK6 performance to discriminate ATB from HD reached an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI 0.89-0.99), with 90.9% sensitivity and 87.8% specificity, thus achieving the minimal WHO target product profile for a non-sputum-based TB screening test. Besides, RISK6 yielded an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85-1) with 90.9% sensitivity and 88.5% specificity for discriminating ATB from LTBI. Moreover, RISK6 showed higher performance (AUC 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.94) than IGRA-rmsHBHA (AUC 0.75, 95% CI 0.69-0.82) to differentiate TB infection stages. Finally, RISK6 signature scores significantly decreased after 2 months of TB treatment and continued to decrease gradually until the end of treatment reaching scores obtained in HD. We confirmed the performance of RISK6 signature as a triage TB test and its utility for treatment monitoring.

Different PPD-stimulated cytokine responses from patients infected with genetically distinct Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lineages.

OBJECTIVES: The genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) influences the immune response of the host, which may affect the immunodiagnostic tests and biomarker assessment studies used for tuberculosis (TB). This study aimed to determine whether the mycobacterial-antigen-stimulated cytokine responses vary with the genotype of the MTBC infecting the patient. METHODS: Eighty-one patients with confirmed active pulmonary TB were recruited, and MTBC clinical strains were isolated from their sputum for bacterial lineage single-nucleotide polymorphism typing. Whole blood was drawn from the patients to measure the purified protein derivative (PPD)-stimulated cytokine responses (GM-CSF, IFN-γ, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-α, IL-12, eotaxin, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, MIP1-α, MIP1-ß, MCP1, IL1RA, IP10, IL2R, MIG) with the Luminex multiplex immunoassay. RESULTS: Of the 24 cytokines studied, three were produced differentially in whole blood dependent on the infecting lineage of MTBC. Decreased production of IL-17 was observed in patients infected with modern lineages compared with patients infected with ancestral lineages (P < 0.01), and production of IFN-γ and IL-2 was significantly decreased in patients infected with lineage 4 strains compared with patients infected with lineage 3 strains (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MTBC strains belonging to lineage 4 induced a decreased whole-blood PPD-stimulated pro-inflammatory cytokine response.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a report from a sub-Saharan African country, Senegal.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in pregnancy in Senegal. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study of all cases of COVID-19 including nine pregnant women who were admitted in COVID-19 treatment centers in Senegal from March 2 to May 15, 2020. SARS-COV-2 infection was confirmed by PCR. Patients' characteristics, clinical features, treatment and outcome were obtained with a customized data collection form. RESULTS: The frequency of the association COVID-19 and pregnancy was 0.5%. The age range of the patients was 18-42 years with an average 28 years, and the range of gestational weeks at admission was 7 weeks to 32 weeks. None of the patients had underlying diseases. All the patients presented with a headache and only four of them had fever. Other symptoms were also observed: two patients had a cough, two had rhinorrhea, and two patients reported poor appetite. The median time to recovery was 13.6 days, corresponding to the number of days in hospital. None of the nine pregnant women developed severe COVID-19 pneumonia or died. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women appear to have the same contamination predispositions and clinical features of SARS-COV-2 infection as the general population. This study shows no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection with coronavirus.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in nine pregnant women: a report from a sub-Saharan African country, Senegal

Introduction: to investigate the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in pregnancy in Senegal. Methods: this was a cross-sectional and descriptive study of all cases of COVID-19 including nine pregnant women who were admitted in COVID-19 treatment centers in Senegal from March 2 to May 15, 2020. SARS-COV-2 infection was confirmed by PCR. Patients' characteristics, clinical features, treatment and outcome were obtained with a customized data collection form. Results: the frequency of the association COVID-19 and pregnancy was 0.5%. The age range of the patients was 18-42 years with an average 28 years, and the range of gestational weeks at admission was 7 weeks to 32 weeks. None of the patients had underlying diseases. All the patients presented with a headache and only four of them had fever. Other symptoms were also observed: two patients had a cough, two had rhinorrhea, and two patients reported poor appetite. The median time to recovery was 13.6 days, corresponding to the number of days in hospital. None of the nine pregnant women developed severe COVID-19 pneumonia or died. Conclusion: pregnant women appear to have the same contamination predispositions and clinical features of SARS-COV-2 infection as the general population. This study shows no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection with coronavirus

Bayesian Nonparametrics and Biostatistics: The Case of PET Imaging.

Biostatistic applications often require to collect and analyze a massive amount of data. Hence, it has become necessary to consider new statistical paradigms that perform well in characterizing complex data. Nonparametric Bayesian methods provide a widely used framework that offers the key advantages of a fully model-based probabilistic framework, while being highly flexible and adaptable. The goal of this paper is to provide a motivation of Bayesian nonparametrics (BNP) through a particular biomedical application, namely Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging reconstruction.

Ultrasonography of peritoneal tuberculosis.

Purpose: The objective of this work was to describe different presentations of peritoneal tuberculosis on ultrasound. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study conducted between 2008 and 2016 at the Main Hospital in Dakar, and including 38 cases of peritoneal tuberculosis. The tests were performed on Philips Envisor and Hitachi Preirus with 10 and 12 MHz linear transducers. The mean age was 26 years and the sex ratio was 0.8. The diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis was based on histological evidence (17 cases), isolation of BK from sputum (5 cases), positive adenosine deaminase in ascites fluid (4 cases) or a favorable clinical course after trial antituberculosis treatment (4 cases). The structures studied were the parietal peritoneum, the mesentery, the large omentum, as well as the characteristics of ascites, and extra-peritoneal lesions. Results: Parietal peritoneal involvement was found in 89.4% of patients, including regular diffuse hypoechoic thickening in 70.5% and nodular thickening in 11.7%. Ascites was present in 84.2% of patients. The great omentum showed anomalies in 73.6% of cases in relation to 3 aspects: trilamellar thickening made up of a thick, hyperechoic central layer surrounded by 2 thin peripheral hypoechoic layers in 46.4% of cases; a single-layer hyperechoic thickening in 21.4% of cases; heterogeneous hyperechogenic thickening with hypoechoic nodules in 32.1% of cases. Mesentery abnormalities were noted in 63.1% of patients with hypoechoic thickening. Conclusion: Ultrasound with the advantage of safety and accessibility is a reliable technique for the diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis. In some cases, it allows for a guided percutaneous biopsy to avoid the use of laparoscopy.Purpose: The objective of this work was to describe different presentations of peritoneal tuberculosis on ultrasound. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study conducted between 2008 and 2016 at the Main Hospital in Dakar, and including 38 cases of peritoneal tuberculosis. The tests were performed on Philips Envisor and Hitachi Preirus with 10 and 12 MHz linear transducers. The mean age was 26 years and the sex ratio was 0.8. The diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis was based on histological evidence (17 cases), isolation of BK from sputum (5 cases), positive adenosine deaminase in ascites fluid (4 cases) or a favorable clinical course after trial antituberculosis treatment (4 cases). The structures studied were the parietal peritoneum, the mesentery, the large omentum, as well as the characteristics of ascites, and extra-peritoneal lesions. Results: Parietal peritoneal involvement was found in 89.4% of patients, including regular diffuse hypoechoic thickening in 70.5% and nodular thickening in 11.7%. Ascites was present in 84.2% of patients. The great omentum showed anomalies in 73.6% of cases in relation to 3 aspects: trilamellar thickening made up of a thick, hyperechoic central layer surrounded by 2 thin peripheral hypoechoic layers in 46.4% of cases; a single-layer hyperechoic thickening in 21.4% of cases; heterogeneous hyperechogenic thickening with hypoechoic nodules in 32.1% of cases. Mesentery abnormalities were noted in 63.1% of patients with hypoechoic thickening. Conclusion: Ultrasound with the advantage of safety and accessibility is a reliable technique for the diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis. In some cases, it allows for a guided percutaneous biopsy to avoid the use of laparoscopy.

Somatic Mitochondrial Mutations in Oral Cavity Cancers among Senegalese Patients.

Background: Somatic mutations affecting the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been frequently observed in human cancers and proposed as important oncological biomarkers. However, the exact mtDNA mutations that is responsible for the pathogenesis of cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate somatic mutations in the MT-CYB and D-Loop regions of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in oral cavity cancers from Senegalese patients. Methods: MT-CYB and the D-Loop of mtDNA derived from 45 oral cavity cancer tissues and 21 control blood samples were assessed by PCR and sequencing. The sequences of MT-CYB and the D-Loop from cancerous tissues were compared with control sequences, and sequence differences were recognized as somatic mutations. Results: Overall, 389 somatic mtDNA mutations were identified, most of which (79.43%) were located in the D-Loop region. The majority of base substitution mutations were G-to-A (63.93%) and T-to-C (16.39%) transitions. In the protein-coding MT-CYB gene, 29 missense mutations were observed. The pathogenic mutation load of MT-CYB was 3.11%. Pathogenic mutations were carried by 25% of patients. pArg76Pro (pArg282Pro in rCRS) was novel and was the most common pathogenic mutation observed. Conclusion: These results strongly indicate that mtDNA mutations are a potential marker of oral cavity cancer.