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Objectives Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease associated with several antinuclear autoantibodies useful to diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of the present multicentric study was to determine the clinical relevance of anti-fibrillarin autoantibodies (AFA) in patients with SSc. Methods The clinical features of 37 SSc patients positive for AFA (AFA+) and 139 SSc patients without AFA (AFA-) were collected retrospectively from medical records to enable a comparison between AFA- and AFA+ patients. Anti-fibrillarin autoantibodies were screened by an indirect immunofluorescence technique using HEp2 cells and identified by an in-house Western blot technique and/or an EliA test. Results Comparing AFA+ and AFA– patients, AFA+ patients were significantly younger at disease onset (36.9 vs. 42.9; p=0.02), more frequently male (p=0.02) and of Afro-Caribbean descent (65% vs. 7.7%; p

Studying the Epidemiological and clinical profile of accidents on public ways at the welcome service of emergencies, CHU Gabriel Touré within the scope of accident reduction on public ways and an improvement of their taking in charge.Retro prospective study over a three-year- period including all the files of any patient emitted for accident happening on public ways without regard to race and sex.Over a three-year-period (from January 2007 to December 2009). Our team has analized 2450 hospitalization files with a follow-up going from 0 to 45 days. The most concerned ages range from 15 to 29 years (43 per cent) with a male predominance (81 per cent). The mechanism motorcycles-pedestrians (30.9 per cent) was the most represented. The mains lesions observed were cranial traumatisms (58.9 per cent), followed with fractures of limbs (13.5 per cent). Death-rate has been risen at the level of young men above all (from 15 to 29 years) and it was mainly due to cranial traumatisms.Accidents on public ways represent a keen problem in matter of public health. The taking in charge of the curse should be very urgent. Information, communication and education of all the professional and social stratums seem necessary.

The long-term of endodontic treatment performed by under graduated students in Dakar were assessed. The overall success rate was 83.84% Vital teeth showed better results than the non vital teeth (necrosis).

Genetic factors have clearly been shown to play a role in controlling malarial infection in animal models. There is now also increasing evidence for the genetic control of malaria in man. We carried out a segregation analysis based on blood parasite load phenotype for a population of the town of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina-Faso). This analysis demonstrated a strong genetic effect. Our results were not consistent with the segregation of a major gene and thus suggest that parasite load is under the control of minor genes. The genetic effect was stronger in children than in adults. We carried out a regression analysis in children and found that there was an association between the phenotype for blood parasite load and the q31-33 region of chromosome 5. We identified a gene in this region, Pfil1 (Plasmodium falciparum infection levels 1), which accounted for almost 50% of the variance in blood parasite load and which played a fundamental role in the control of infection. The 5q31-33 region contains several genes encoding cytokines that regulate T lymphocytes. The identification of genes controlling malarial infection opens up new possibilities for preventive and treatment strategies. It should be possible in the near future to identify individuals at risk of malaria, who would derive the greatest benefit from preventive and therapeutic measures. Finally, a deeper understanding of these genes controlling protective immune responses could be of value for the development of vaccines.

Natural immunity to Haemophilus infection type b that is acquired by the mothers and passively transmitted to their newborns is not well-known in developing countries, where the frequency of Haemophilus meningitis in infancy is high.Blood samples (5 ml) were taken from 89 women at the time of delivery and from the cord of their babies. Blood samples were also taken from 290 infants and children, distributed into nine subgroups as a function of their age. Children with protein-calorie malnutrition and immune deficiency were excluded from the study. Antibodies against Haemophilus influenzae were measured by Elisa and radioimmunologic methods. Blood concentrations of 0.15 pg/ml or more were considered to be protective.All the blood samples of mothers and cords contained protective levels of antibodies, as did the samples from 30% of those infants aged 0-60 days (all the infants were less than 1 month). No infant in the subgroup 12-23 months had protective levels of antibodies. The incidence of Haemophilus meningitis was correlated with the absence of antibodies.Maternal immunity is gradually lost by babies during their first 2 months of life, earlier than in developed countries. Early vaccination, at 3 months of age, is mandatory.

The obstetrical referral patients admitted to the Sanon Souro hospital in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) during 1991 were retrospectively reviewed. During the study period 741 women were admitted. The median distance between the referring centre and Bobo-Dioulasso was 33 km. Median age was 22 years and median parity was 3. Indications for referral were dominated by obstructed labour, haemorrhages and infections. The proportion of maternal mortality in the study was 5.4% and was not related to maternal age or parity. However, there was a linear trend of increasing mortality according to the distance between the referring centre and Bobo-Dioulasso (X2 for trend: 7.56; p = 0.006). The perinatal mortality rate of 420 p. thousand was not related to maternal age, but a parity exceeding 4 was a risk factor for the occurrence of perinatal death (relative risk: 1.4; 95% C.I.: 1.2-1.7). As for maternal mortality, there was a linear increase of perinatal mortality with the distance from the referring centre (X2: 20.8; p = 0.00001). There was no marked seasonal variation in the number of referrals nor in the mortality rates per month.