particularity of helicobacter pylori chronic gastritis in the west center of Tunisia

The Helicobacter pylori [HP] is strongly associated with chronic gastritis. Our study was to determine prevalence of the HP chronic gastritis in the west center of Tunisia and to clarify the clinical and the histological particularities of this infection. It is a prospective study carried out from September 2002 to July 2005 and had included 352 patients. All the patients had an upper endoscopy in which five gastric biopsies were taken for a histological study. The biopsy specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formol and then included in paraffin. The specimens were cut at 4 pm and stained with Hematoxylin Eosin, modified Giemsa and Alcian bleu SAP. The histological examination revealed HP specimens, the lymphoplasmocytic infiltration, the gastritis activity, the gastric atrophy and the intestinal metaplasia according to Sydney system. They were 162 men and 190 women, with a mean age of 48,3 years. The erythematous antral gastritis was the most frequent at endoscopy [26, 7%] The prevalence of HP chronic gastritis was 89% in patients with endoscopic lesions The activity of the gastritis was 89,7% in the antrum and 52,2% in the fundus. The activity mean score in the antrum was 2, 1,8 and 0,3 respectively in the case of duodenal ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma vs 0,68, 1,1 and 0,16 in gastric fundus. The prevalence of gastric atrophy was 35%. The atrophy was found in the antrum in 98% of cases. The prevalence of intestinal metaplasic was 11%. The HP chronic gastritis is very frequent in the west center of Tunisia. Its prevalence is found elevated since the adolescence. It predominate the gastric antrum. It is often associated with a duodenal ulcer rather than gastric cancer

[Prevalence of high risk oncogen HPV by in situ hybridization and by PCR in condyloma acuminata in the region of the Tunisian center]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of "high-risk" HPV types in condyloma acuminata in patients from Tunisian Center. Thirty two paraffin-embedded biopsies were analyzed for the presence and type of HPV DNA by means of in situ hybridization [ISH] and polymerase chain reaction [PCR] techniques. ISH was done using a broad spectrum HPV biotinylated DNA probe for the detection of HPV DNA. HPV typing was carried out using specific probes for HPV types 6/11, 16/18 and 31/33. HPV DNA was amplified by PCR using the degenerate primers E1350L/E1547. HPV were typed by pU-1M/PU-2R primers for the oncogenic HPV types 16, 18, 31 and 33, and PU-31B/PU-2R for "low-risk" group [6 and 11]. Using ISH, HPV was detected in 27 out 32 cases [84.4%]. All were HPV 6/11 positive. Co-infection with oncogenic HPV was found in one case that reacted with 16/18 and 31/33 probes. Good quality DNA was obtained in 13 cases. HPV was detected by PCR in 11 of 13 specimens [80.6%] when E1350L/E1547 primers were used. HPV 6/11 were present in all cases. The results of this study provide specific confirmation of the predominance of HPV6/11 and low rate of co-infection in patient from Tunisian Center. Because of the difficulty of DNA extraction, risk of DNA degradation and contamination associated with PCR, the ISH remains more adapted to archival materiel especially in routine clinical practice

[Diagnostic contribution of HBME- 1 and anti -cytokeratin-19 antibodies in thyroid pathology: a retrospective study of 163 cases]

To estimate the expression of 2 antibodies HBME-l and anti-cytokeratin-19 and their diagnostic importance in thyroid pathology.163 thyroid lesions were retrospectively examined by immnohistochemistry. 92% [46/50 cases] of papillary carcinomas expressed HBME-l as well as 50% [8/16 cases] of follicular carcinomas and 15% [6/40 cases] of follicular adenomas. 8 insular carcinomas, 5 anaplastic carcinomas, 20 cases of Basedow disease and lymphocytic thyroiditis, and the 24 cases of nodular goiters did not express it or very focally. Cytokeratine-19 marked 92% of papillary carcinomas, 56.2% of follicular carcinomas, 100% of the medullar carcinomas and 45% of follicular adenomas. Whereas the cases of anaplastic carcinomas, Basedow disease, thyroiditis and the cases of nodular goiters were negative or focally marked. HBME-1 is an excellent marker for papillary carcinoma which can be helpful in the diagnosis of its follicular variant the association with anti-cytok‚ratine-19 increases its specificity