[Assessment of genital microbiota: An emerging approach in assisted reproductive techniques]. / Évaluation du microbiote génital : une approche émergente en assistance médicale à la procréation.

The genital microbiota actively participates in women's reproductive health. Indeed, a genital dysbiosis (microbial imbalance associated with adverse effects on host health) can lead to vaginal infections (such as mycoses or bacterial vaginosis). Recent data reported that genital dysbiosis (e.g. vaginal or endometrial) was associated with fewer chances of live births in assisted reproductive technologies (ART), via decreased pregnancy rates and an increased risk of miscarriages. The presence or diversity of certain bacterial strains (in particular Gardenellavaginalis, Proteobacteria, Lactobacillusjensenii, Lactobacilluscrispatus or Atopobiumvaginae) within the genital microbiota seem to be associated with the outcomes of ART cycles, suggesting new approaches to improve ART results. In this review, we aim at presenting the state of art on the association between the female genital microbiota and ART success. The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches (i.e. probiotics, antibiotic therapy and transplantation of vaginal microbiota) in the management of patients with altered microbiota will also be discussed. The confirmation of these data in the coming years could significantly improve the management of infertile patients in ART with a more personalized approach partially based on the female genital microbiotic profile.

[Transcatheter treatment of tricuspid regurgitation]. / Traitement interventionnel de la fuite tricuspide.

Tricuspid regurgitation is serious disease for which surgical correction is underperformed because of a prohibitive risk. It is responsible for a 50% mortality at 3 years which is decreased by surgical treatment. However, only a negligible proportion of patients undergoes surgery. In this context, there is currently an unmet need for percutaneous treatment technique. Several technologies are undergoing preclinical or early clinical development. These techniques aim to mimic the different surgical strategies used for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation. Thus, some target the leaflets, the tricuspid annulus or offer a complete tricuspid valve replacement. Before planning a transcatheter tricuspid intervention, a comprehensive evaluation is mandatory, addressing the patient clinical status and comorbidities, the tricuspid regurgitation ad its consequences on right heart and, the anatomy of the tricuspid annulus and the right heart to determine if the patient is eligible for the chosen technique. This article will review the indications, contraindications and exams to perform before transcatheter tricuspid intervention and will then detail the different strategies available or undergoing development.

[Oral anticoagulants in elderly patients with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation]. / Anticoagulants oraux chez le sujet âgé coronarien en fibrillation atriale.

Anti-thrombotic management of percutaneous coronary intervention and atrial fibrillation relies on dual antiplatelet therapy and anticoagulation respectively. Because of people ageing, the coexistence of coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation is increasing. This coexistence raises concerns about the anti-thrombotic strategy, particularly about the association of dual antiplatelet therapy and anticoagulation, known as triple therapy. This triple therapy is responsible for a dramatic increase in bleeding risk (3-4 fold) especially in elderlies. However, older patients are also at increased risk of ischemic events. In this setting, dual anti-thrombotic strategies combining non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants and a P2Y12 inhibitor have been developed. These strategies provide a net benefit by reducing bleeding events. Therefore, they are becoming an attractive alternative, especially for frailer patient. This article reviews the rational, risks and strategies of anti-thrombotic therapy in elderly people with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation.

Should furosemide be avoided in acute right ventricular myocardial infarction?

BACKGROUND: Diuretics are conventionally prohibited in acute right ventricular myocardial infarction. AIMS: To assess the benefit of diuretics compared to fluid expansion in patients with inferior myocardial infarction extended to the right ventricule. METHODS: Of 295 patients admitted for inferior or posterior acute myocardial infarction between November 2008 and November 2010, 77 had a right ventricular extension. Among these 77 patients, 19 presented with oligoanuria (<0.5 mL/kg per hour) and no criteria for cardiogenic shock. Overall, 11 patients were treated by low dose of furosemide (40 to 80 mg) and eight received fluid expansion using isotonic saline solution. RESULTS: Baseline right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction, systolic blood pressure and heart rate were similar between the groups. Twenty-four hours after treatment, urine output was similar between the two groups but only the patients in the diuretic group improved their blood pressure (103 ± 16 mmHg versus 127 ± 20 mmHg, P < 0.001), heart rate (71 ± 15 bpm versus 76 ± 13 bpm, P = 0.03), creatinin level and alanine aminotrasferase plasmatic level. Hospitalization duration and the need of inotropic support were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Diuretics and fluid expansion provide similar efficiency for triggering diuresis in patients with right ventricular infarction and oligoanuria but only diuretics seem to be associated with improvement in hemodynamic status and venous congestion.

The high-throughput yeast deletion fitness data and the theories of dominance.

The development of high-throughput fitness measurement methods provides unprecedented power to test evolutionary theories. However, with this comes new challenges regarding data quality and data analysis. We illustrate this by reanalysing the fitness distribution in several environments of yeast mutants (homo- and heterozygous) from the yeast deletion project. Originally created to study functional properties of genes, evolutionary biologists took advantage of this database to study evolutionary questions, such as dominance for fitness of mutations. We uncover several problems in this data set strongly affecting these questions that have remained unnoticed despite the numerous studies based on it. High-throughput methodologies are necessarily challenging, both experimentally and for data analysis: our point is not to criticize these approaches, but to pinpoint these challenges and to propose several improvements that may help avoid several shortcomings. Further, in the light of this finding, we question the conclusions regarding theories of dominance that have been made using this data set. We show that the data on deletion of small effects are not sufficiently reliable to be informative on this question. On the other hand, deletions of large effect exhibit no correlation between homo- and heterozygous fitness effects, a pattern that sheds new light on the h-s correlation issue, with several consequences for the debate over the different theories of dominance.