Exploring Memory Systems After Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumor: From Memory Profile Comparisons in Nonirradiated Versus Irradiated Patients to Episodic Memory Tests Capable of Detecting Radiation-induced Hippocampal Damage.

AIMS: Pediatric posterior fossa tumor (PFT) survivors experience long-term cognitive sequelae, including memory disorders, for which irradiation is one of the main risk factors. The aims of the present study were to (1) explore the profile of impairment in episodic, semantic, working and procedural memory systems in irradiated versus nonirradiated PFT survivors, and (2) test whether an autobiographical questionnaire and a two-phase ecological test (Epireal) assessing episodic memory are more sensitive to radiation-induced hippocampal damage than commonly used tests. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 participants (22 irradiated PFT survivors, 17 nonirradiated PFT survivors, and 21 controls) were included in the prospective IMPALA study. They all underwent a broad battery of tests assessing the different memory systems in two 2-day sessions 3 weeks apart. We performed between-groups comparisons and analyzed impairment profiles, using -1.65 SDs as a cut-off. For irradiated patients, correlations were calculated between mean radiation doses to key brain structures involved in memory (hippocampus, cerebellum, and striatum) and corresponding memory scores. RESULTS: PBT survivors performed significantly more poorly than controls (p < 0.001) on conventional tests of episodic, semantic and working memory: 64% of irradiated patients and 35% of nonirradiated patients had a deficit in at least two memory systems, with episodic memory impairment being more specific to the irradiated group. Epireal had a larger effect size than the other episodic memory tests, allowing us to detect deficits in a further 18% of irradiated patients. These deficits were correlated with the mean radiation dose to the left hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Memory impairment is a frequent long-term cognitive sequela in PFT survivors, especially after radiation therapy. New ecological tests of episodic memory that are more sensitive to radiation-induced deficits than conventional tests could yield specific markers of the toxicity of medial temporal lobe irradiation.

IgA antibody response during acquired and congenital toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii specific IgA and IgM antibodies were quantitated by an antibody capture agglutination assay in 260 patients with acquired toxoplasmosis and from 94 fetuses suspected of congenital toxoplasmosis and 30 infected children. In acquired toxoplasmosis, IgA antibodies to T gondii were found in 95% of the cases. In congenital toxoplasmosis IgA antibodies were more frequently detected (75%) in cord blood than IgM antibodies (61%). They persisted after birth, in some cases for up to 24 months. IgA antibodies were also detected in fetuses whose mothers had toxoplasmosis during their pregnancy. In infected fetuses IgM and IgA antibodies were detected in fetal blood as early as week 24 of pregnancy. Detection of IgA T gondii antibodies may be useful for the diagnosis of some recently acquired infection and for the diagnosis and follow up of the infection in the fetus and neonate.

[Epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in mothers and children in tropical Africa]. / Epidémiologie de la toxoplasmose chez la mère et l'enfant en Afrique tropicale.

The purpose of this study was the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Congo, Ivory Coast (IC), Niger, Centrafrican Republic, Zaïre. This statistical study was relied upon the search of IgG and IgM antibodies. In Niger, the risk connected with the first contact of the parasite was very low for children and young women, since only 2.6% of children under 15 years were carrying IgG and 5.4% of women between 15 and 30. In the other countries, the highest risk of first contact occurred before reaching 10 years and mostly between 5 and 9 (the IgG survey was confirmed by IgM survey). Nevertheless, IgM survey had indicated that for the young women there was a risk of first contact until reaching 20 years in IC and 30 years in Congo. A comparative study of antibodies developed among the couple mother-children was conducted in IC and Congo.

[Toxoplasmosis in the Central African Republic. Complementary study in a rural area]. / La toxoplasmose en République centrafricaine (RCA). Etude complémentaire en zone rurale.

The epidemiological survey on the incidence of toxoplasmosis in rural areas of Central African Republic was carried out on a healthy population. The 814 samples came from 5 regions with 4 different climates. About 40% of the adults had IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii except in pre-desert area where only 25% were positive. Girls became positive earlier than boys, but there was no difference between adult men and women except in pre-desert zone where men were more positive.

[Toxoplasmosis in the Congo Republic. Seroepidemiological study]. / La toxoplasmose en République du Congo. Etude séroépidémiologique.

Our study group, which was composed of over 2,500 subjects, aged between 0 and 65 years, came from different regions of Congo. The samples obtained were examined for the presence of IgG and IgM against Toxoplasma gondii. IgG were detected in about 33% of children over 9 years and in about 40% of adults. A study of IgM confirmed the early contact of children with the parasite (11% of positive samples for children between 4 and 9) and that of young women (5 to 7% positivity for subjects between 15 and 30). In spite of local variations, the extremely humid climate did not allow us to detect a difference based on the origin of the samples as furthermore there seems to be an ethnic factor involved. Among the different types of professions in our sample only farmers appear to be less frequently positive. Diet, as well as contact with animals do not seem to have an influence.

[Liver and the pill]. / Foie et pilule.

PIP: It is well known that estroprogestational agents can provoke serious alterations in the hepato-biliar system. Cholestasis and jaundice are the most common side effects, but they regress spontaneously after termination of treatment. Biliar lithiasis seems to be associated to the number of pregnancies, and its physiopathological mechanism is still unclear. Benign hepatic tumors are rare, as is peliosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome. Even if the incidence of such accidents is low compared to the number of oral contraceptive users, all patients should be surveilled at all times.^ieng

[Toxoplasmosis in the African tropical zone. Preliminary studies]. / La toxoplasmose en zone tropicale africaine. Etudes préliminaires.

Toxoplasmosis in Tropical African area was not subject to many publications but the results indicate that toxoplasmosis may influence the health of the populations. We present prevalence studies carried out in the Central African Republic, Mali, Niger, Burkina-Faso, Togo to find toxoplasma-antibodies by Agglutination of Latex. For adults the lower percentage was found in the North Central African Republic villages (40%) and the higher in Mali (nearly 70%). These high percentages justify a larger epidemiological study in Tropical Africa.

[Toxoplasmosis in Japan. Comparative study of different regions]. / La toxoplasmose au Japon. Etude comparative de différentes régions.

Specificities of Japan by geography, culture, and low incidence for Toxoplasmosis were examined in this epidemiological study. 1 731 human sera were examined by several immunological tests but these results are related with Agglutination-Latex test. The sera came from North (Hokkaido), Middle (Tokyo area) and South (Okinawa). The ratio for the whole Japan towards Toxoplasmosis is 24.7% but the increase of antibodies with age is late: rate of positivity 4.6% up to 17 years old and nearly 30% after 30 years old. Cats, business, climate do not seem to influence the human infection. It is consumption of meat and particularly raw meat which influence the results: 40.8% positive results among eaters of raw meat and 22% among those not eating meat or eating it well cooked.

[Epidemiological study of toxoplasmosis at Kinshasa and in lower Zaire]. / Etude épidémiologique de la toxoplasmose à Kinshasa et dans le Bas-Zaïre.

An epidemiological survey of human toxoplasmosis was carried out in urban Kinshasa and in rural Kwilu-Ngongo (Bas-Zaïre). First contact with Toxoplasma gondii occurred earlier in children from Kinshasa, but adults aged over 30 were more often carriers of IgG antibodies in Kwilu-Ngongo (65.5%) compared to those in Kinshasa (50.2%). In Zaire, nutritional diet and telluric contact seem to be very important.

[Epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Ivory Coast]. / Epidémiologie de la toxoplasmose en Cote-d'Ivoire.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in samples of healthy populations in Ivory Coast. Various factors have been studied: age, sex, ethnic group, occupation, food, contacts with animals, climate. The samples were obtained in four places which were different by geographical situation and climate: Abidjan (urban site), Bonoua (littoral site), Bin-Houye (forest site), Odienne (predesert site). The samples of sera or blood were deposited on filter-papers and tested by latex agglutination (for IgG) and ISAGA (for IgM). Results were analysed by statistical methods. More than 2,000 samples have been studied, showing a prevalence higher in humid tropical zones (55.6% to 70%) than in predesert zone (37.2%). The first contact of the child with the parasite was more often before reaching 10 years but the risk for women was important until the age of 20. The other studied factors didn't appear to have any effect.

Antifungal antibiotic sensitivity testing: use of Autobac 1 for standardization purposes.

The authors used a semi-automatic device, Pfizer Autobac 1, to standardize antifungal antibiotic sensitivity testing. The first trials gave quite satisfying results for true (polyene) antibiotics, but more questionable results were obtained for imidazole derivatives and 5-fluorocytosine.