Evaluating vector competence for Yellow fever in the Caribbean.

The mosquito-borne disease, Yellow fever (YF), has been largely controlled via mass delivery of an effective vaccine and mosquito control interventions. However, there are warning signs that YF is re-emerging in both Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Imported from Africa in slave ships, YF was responsible for devastating outbreaks in the Caribbean. In Martinique, the last YF outbreak was reported in 1908 and the mosquito Aedes aegypti was incriminated as the main vector. We evaluated the vector competence of fifteen Ae. aegypti populations for five YFV genotypes (Bolivia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda). Here we show that mosquito populations from the Caribbean and the Americas were able to transmit the five YFV genotypes, with YFV strains for Uganda and Bolivia having higher transmission success. We also observed that Ae. aegypti populations from Martinique were more susceptible to YFV infection than other populations from neighboring Caribbean islands, as well as North and South America. Our vector competence data suggest that the threat of re-emergence of YF in Martinique and the subsequent spread to Caribbean nations and beyond is plausible.

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of marine sponge extracts Agelas clathrodes, Desmapsamma anchorata and Verongula rigida from a Caribbean Island.

Although marine sponges are known for their antimicrobial, antifungal and cytotoxic activity, very few studies have been carried out on endemic species of Martinique. Martinique is part of the Agoa Sanctuary, a marine protected area that includes the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the French Caribbean islands, making it an abundant source of marine species. To highlight the potential of this area for the discovery of marine biomolecules with antipathogenic and antitumor activities, we tested the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of sponge species Agelas clathrodes, Desmapsamma anchorata and Verongula rigida. Five bacterial strains: Bacillus cereus (CIP 78.3), Escherichia coli (CIP 54.127), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CIP A22), Staphylococcus aureus (CIP 67.8) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus (CIP 76125) were evaluated, as well as four tumor cell lines: breast cancer (MDA-MB231), glioblastoma (RES259) and leukemia (MOLM14 and HL-60). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using the disc diffusion technique by determining the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations. Tumor cytotoxic activity was determined in vitro by defining the minimum concentration of extracts that would inhibit cell growth. Ethanolic extracts of Agelas clathrodes were bactericidal for Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains, as well as strongly cytotoxic (IC50 < 20 µg/mL) on all cancer cell lines. Verongula rigida also showed strong cytotoxic activity on cell lines but no antimicrobial activity. These results are innovative for this species on these bacterial lines, highlighting the potential of sponge extracts from this area as bioactive compounds sources.

The invasive crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus facing chlordecone in Martinique: Bioaccumulation and depuration study.

The redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, was introduced to Martinique Island for aquaculture purposes at the beginning of the 21st century, in an attempt to revitalize the freshwater crustacean aquaculture sector. Mainly due to its high economical value, it was intentionally released in the wild and was caught and sold by fishermen. Martinican rivers are polluted by chlordecone, considered as one of the worst Persistant Organic Pollutants (POP). Despite its dangerousness, it was used until 1993 in the French West Indies against a banana pest and was always found in the ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate the level of contamination in the muscle of crayfish caught in the wild, as well as the potential of bioconcentration and depuration in the C. quadricarinatus muscle. This study could allow us to quantify the risk for consumers but also, to evaluate a depuration process to reduce the risk related to its consumption. Using both in-vitro and in-situ experiments, results highlighted the importance of the chlordecone concentration in the water and the time of exposure to the pollutant. The bioconcentration seems to be very quick and continuous in crayfish muscle, as chlordecone can be detectable as early as 6 h of exposure, whatever the concentration tested. Finally, it appears that, even after 20 days of depuration in chlordecone-free water, chlordecone concentrations remained higher to the residual maximum limit (i.e. 20 ng/g wet weight), concluding that the decontamination of the muscle seems not very efficient, and the risk for the Martinican people could be serious.

SOD1-related ALS with anticipation in a large family from Martinique.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare neurological disorder that causes degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons and their axons. ALS is mostly sporadic, but there are familial forms. In more than half of the familial forms, a pathogenic variant is found in one of the following genes: C9ORF72, SOD1, TDP-43, FUS, and VCP. SOD1 is the 2nd most common gene involved in genetic forms of ALS. Genotype-phenotype relationships are occasionally established in genetic forms of ALS associated with SOD1 mutations pathogenic variants. The c.281G > T (p.[G93V]) variant in SOD1 is associated with a rarely described and unexplained anticipation phenomenon. We report a large family from Martinique in whom ALS is associated with a c.281G > T (p.[G93V]) pathogenic variant in SOD1 and a statistically suggested anticipation. A whole-exome study and detection of CNVs (CoDESeq) from 3 affected members of this family revealed the presence of variants of uncertain signification (VUS) in other ALS genes. VUS in DCTN1 and NEFH were present in patients of the 2nd generation, and CNVs involving UBQLN2 and C21orf2 were found in the youngest case of the family.

Advancing Cancer Control Through Research and Cancer Registry Collaborations in the Caribbean.

BACKGROUND: Few national registries exist in the Caribbean, resulting in limited cancer statistics being available for the region. Therefore, estimates are frequently based on the extrapolation of mortality data submitted to the World Health Organization. Thus, regional cancer surveillance and research need promoting, and their synergy must be strengthened. However, differences between countries outweigh similarities, hampering registration and availability of data. METHODS: The African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium (AC3) is a broad-based resource for education, training, and research on all aspects of cancer in populations of African descent. The AC3 focuses on capacity building in cancer registration in the Caribbean through special topics, training sessions, and biannual meetings. We review the results from selected AC3 workshops, including an inventory of established cancer registries in the Caribbean region, current cancer surveillance statistics, and a review of data quality. We then describe the potential for cancer research surveillance activities and the role of policymakers. RESULTS: Twelve of 30 Caribbean nations have cancer registries. Four of these nations provide high-quality incidence data, thus covering 14.4% of the population; therefore, regional estimates are challenging. Existing research and registry collaborations must pave the way and are facilitated by organizations like the AC3. CONCLUSIONS: Improved coverage for cancer registrations could help advance health policy through targeted research. Capacity building, resource optimization, collaboration, and communication between cancer surveillance and research teams are key to obtaining robust and complete data in the Caribbean.

Colorectal cancer in patients seen at the teaching hospitals of Guadeloupe and Martinique: discrepancies, similarities in clinicopathological features, and p53 status.

BACKGROUND: In Guadeloupe and Martinique, two French Overseas Departments, colorectal cancer (CRC) has become an essential public health issue. However, little is known about CRC characteristics and the p53 status in these populations, particularly in Guadeloupe, whereas certification of a cancer registry has been recently validated. METHODS: This was a descriptive retrospective study of 201 patients who, between 1995 and 2000, underwent surgery for CRC in the Guadeloupe Teaching Hospital (GlpeTH; 83 patients) and in the Martinique Teaching Hospital (MqueTH; 118 patients). The clinicopathological features and the p53 expression, evaluated with immunohistochemistry, were compared at the time of diagnosis. A relationship between these parameters and the p53 expression was also studied. Data were analysed, using the SPSS computer software version 17.0. RESULTS: No statistical difference was found between the two groups of patients regarding age (p = 0.60), percentage of young patients (≤50 years; p = 0.94)), sex (p = 0.47), histological type (p = 0.073) and tumour sites (p = 0.65), although the GlpeTH patients were diagnosed with more distal colon cancers (54.2%) than the Mque TH patients (47.4%). By contrast, a significant difference was found regarding the tumour grade (p < 0.0001), the pTNM stage (p = 0.045) and the pT stage (p < 0.0001). Regarding p53 expression, solely for the MqueTH patients, nuclear expression was associated with pTNM, the percentage of p53 negative tumours increasing with the progression of the pTNM stages (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, this study reveals discrepancies in clinicopathological features and in the p53 status between the two groups of patients. The GlpeTH patients were diagnosed with more moderated CRCs but with few CRCs at pTNM IV stage. By contrast, the MqueTH patients were diagnosed with more differentiated tumours, but with many more CRCs at pTNM IV stage. This paradox may be due to differences in tumour location (distal vs proximal), multiplicity of the genetic profiles of patients, or patients getting treatment elsewhere. Although our study is limited due to its small size, it emphasizes the originality of our results.

The three-dimensional structure of codakine and related marine C-type lectins.

Codakine is a new Ca(2+)-dependent mannose-binding C-type lectin (MBL) isolated from the gill tissue of the tropical clam, Codakia orbicularis. Bioinformatic analyses with the BLAST program have revealed similarities with marine lectins involved in immunity whose three-dimensional (3D) structures were unknown up until recently. In this article, we present bioinformatic analyses of marine lectins that are homologous to codakine, in particular lectins from the sea worm Laxus oneistus, named mermaid. These lectins are involved in the symbiotic association with sulphur-oxidizing bacteria which are closely related to the C. orbicularis gill symbiont. Using homology modelling, folding that is characteristic of C-type lectins was observed in all the marine Ca(2+)-dependent lectins studied, with conservation of random coiled structures of the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) and Ca(2+)-binding sites. Like codakine, the marine lectins analysed contain a signal peptide commonly found in secreted and transmembrane proteins. The majority of the predictive 3D models established from the lectins exhibit a common feature, namely the involvement in invertebrate and vertebrate immunity (dendritic cell receptor, macrophage receptor, etc.). These bioinformatic analyses and the literature data support the hypothesis that codakine, like the L. oneistus mermaids, is probably involved in the cellular mediation of symbiosis and defence against pathogenic microorganisms.