RESUMO
Toxoplasma gondii has worldwide distribution in nearly one-third of the human population. It is a neurotropic protozoan parasite so a potential role of T. gondii infection for some neuropsychiatric disorders was postulated. Patients with psychiatric disorders had high toxoplasmosis seroprevalence. Limited information about toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in psychiatric patients was known in southern area of Saudi Arabia. The current cross sectional case control study aims at determination of the prevalence of T. gondii IgG and IgM in neuropsychiatric patients in Jazan Province. A total of 162 neuropsychiatric patients from Al-Amal hospital for psychiatric health and 162 subjects without neuropsychiatric manifestations from Jazan General Hospital, Jazan City, KSA. were enrolled in the study. Psychiatric diagnosis was based on the International Classification of Diseases-10 [lCD-10 classification]. Serological analysis for latent toxoplasmosis [lgG] and active toxoplasmosis [IgM] was done using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay [ELISA]. Investigations for the association with socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics in psychiatric patients were also done. The serofrequency of lgG antibodies among neuropsychiatric patients was significantly higher than that of the controls [35.8% vs 14.8%] P = 0.0022. OR 3.2 with 95% CI= [1.4952 to 6.8774]. However; serofrequency of toxoplasma IgM antibody between neuropsychiatric patients and controls was not statistically significant [P> 0.05]. Bivariate and multivariate analysis for socio-demographics and possible associated risk factors showed that contact to cats and/or dogs, eating under cooked meat, and contact to soil were significantly higher in neuropsychiatric patients than controls
RESUMO
The goal of this study is to analyze certain epidemiologic characteristics of breast cancer in Tunisia and to foresee the consequences that will arise from the trends in incidence of this cancer. Data obtained from the North-Tunisia Cancer Registry [NTCR] and from the Salah AZAIZ Institute [SAI] Registry is used to estimate the different incidence rates and to compare these rates with those of other countries. In 15 years the crude incidence rate for breast cancer in the North Tunisia almost doubled to reach 21.5 cases / 100, 000 women per year during 1994-1998. The high rate of this cancer among women younger than 35 years [11%] could be related to a relatively low incidence among post-menopausal women. The clinical profile of breast cancer remains quite alarming: 40.2% of cases have a tumor with a clinical diameter equal or greater than 5 cm. Birth cohort effect, also know as the generation effect, is expected to lead to an increase of cancer incidence in the future. The rather high number of young cases is a source of additional cost on social and financial level. The priority is now to solve the problem of late diagnosis it has aggravated the prognosis of this cancer in Tunisia