[Pseudomonas aeruginosa in post-piercing perichondritis: Two case reports]. / Chondrite à Pseudomonas aeruginosa après piercing chez l'adolescent : à propos de deux cas.

The frequency of body piercing has increased in France over the past few years, particularly among teenagers. Piercing can be performed at different sites on the body, especially in the cartilage of the ears. We relate two cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa chondritis. A 10-year retrospective study at the Marseille University Hospital found no additional pediatric cases. These infectious complications can sometimes be necrotizing. It is therefore important to inform the medical staff on the hygiene measures that need to be respected and the patients on the treatment to follow after the piercing as well as the signs to watch for, possibly indicating chondritis. The esthetic consequences depend on early diagnosis.

Is individual social deprivation associated with adverse perinatal outcomes? Results of a French multicentre cross-sectional survey.

INTRODUCTION: French national health programmes take into account social deprivation in their implementation, those targeting perinatal outcomes, especially. The main aim of the present work was to assess the association between individual social deprivation and adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS: A multicentre cross-sectional population-based survey was performed between October and December 2007. Eligible women delivered a baby in one of the three maternity hospitals of Clermont-Ferrand area, and read and spoke French fluently. Women who had undergone voluntary termination of pregnancy were excluded. Individual social deprivation was measured by the EPICES score. Standard prenatal follow-up defined by having less than 7 consultations and quality of prenatal care defined by having at least four consultations were measured. Adverse perinatal outcomes were measured by a composite criterion defined by women who had the occurrence of the three main causes of pregnancy-related disorders: preterm delivery, and/or diabetes, and/or obstetrical hypertension. RESULTS: Of the 471 eligible women, 464 were finally included. One hundred and fifteen (24.78%) women were socially deprived. The most deprived women had poor standard prenatal follow-up (p = 0.003) and poor quality of prenatal care (0.03). Nationality was the sole confounding factor identified. Deprived women had a two-fold greater risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, adjusted odds ratio 1.95 [1.15; 3.29]. DISCUSSION: Social deprivation was associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. Social deprivation should be systematically screened in pregnant women standard follow-up, among migrant women, especially.

GC-MS analysis of cuticular lipids in recent and older scavenger insect puparia. An approach to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI).

An analytical method was developed to characterize puparia cuticular lipids (hydrocarbons, waxes) and to compare the molecular distribution patterns in the extracts from either recent or older puparia. Acid-catalyzed transesterification and solvent extraction and purification, followed by combined gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, were optimized for the determination of hydrocarbons and fatty acid ethyl esters from transesterified waxes, extracted from a single species of a fly scavenger (Hydrotaea aenescens Wiedemann, 1830). Comparison between recent (2012) or older (1997) puparia contents has highlighted significant composition differences, in particular, a general decrease of the chain length in the n-alkane distribution pattern and, on the contrary, an increase of the ester chain length. Both extracts contain traces of three hopane hydrocarbon congeners. Preliminary results evidence the change in puparia lipid composition over time, thus potentially providing new indices for estimating postmortem interval.

IgA-containing immune complexes in the circulation of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

IgA-, IgM- and IgG-containing immune complexes (CIC) were detected in 48, 19 and 12% of 52 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), in 36, 38 and 56% of 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and in 8, 5 and 3% of 40 normal controls. A high proportion of primary SS patients also had considerable amounts of serum IgA and elevated levels of IgA with rheumatoid factor (RF) activity. IgA-CIC and IgA-RF were more frequent (P less than 0.03 and less than 0.001) in the 27 primary SS patients with, than in the 25 without extraglandular manifestations. IgA-CIC could play a role in mediating the tissue injury associated with primary SS.

[Comparison of radiologic lesions of rheumatoid polyarthritis in function of the presence or the absence of the rheumatoid factor IgA]. / Comparaison des lésions radiologiques de la polyarthrite rhumatoïde en fonction de la présence ou de l'absence de facteur rhumatoïde IgA.

The authors compared, with the help of five radiological indices bearing on part (hand and wrists) or the all the articulations of the limbs concerned by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a group of 45 RA with rheumatoid factor IgA (RF IgA) with a group of 45 RA without RF IgA by matching them according to age, sex and duration of evolution. They did not find any significant difference between the two groups for any of the indices. Although they are more often associated with agglutinant RF IgM, the RA with RF IgA are not more severe on the radiological level than the RA without FR IgA.

The antiperinuclear factor. I. Clinical and serologic associations.

The antiperinuclear factor (APF) test raises two main problems: the unpredictability of the cells used as substrate and the difficulty in expressing the results. We propose that 10% of the cells have to be stained by a given serum in order for it to be considered positive. APF were found to be present in 76% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 3% of healthy controls and occasionally in disease controls. The production of APF was significantly (p less than 0.01) related to the presence of rheumatoid factor in RA, and IgG antibody was predominant in the APF test.

The antiperinuclear factor. II. Variability of the perinuclear antigen.

Since the antiperinuclear factor (APF) test on human buccal cells is rather unpredictable, we have investigated the possible factors determining the expression of appropriate antigens by the cells. We failed to find any relationship of the expression of perinuclear antigens to the donor's smoking habits, the degree of contamination with saprophytic bacteria, the presence or absence of blood group substances in saliva, or the titers of serum antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus. Family studies were also performed to further elucidate a genetic predisposition to the expression of the APF antigen.

[Tiopronin, an example of hydrosulphonated derivatives used in the treatment of rheumatoid polyarthritis. Study of immunologic effects]. / La tiopronine, un exemple de dérivés sulfhydrilés utilisé dans le traitement de la polyarthrite rhumatoïde. Etude des effets immunologiques.

Fifteen patients with rheumatoid arthritis were treated with tiopronine, and an immunological check-up carried out before the onset and after a two-month treatment. The latex test titres decreased, and there was a significant fall in the levels of IgA-containing circulating immune complexes, in parallel with a depletion of plasma complement breakdown products. Patients displayed a decrease in CD8+T cells and in CD4+Leu 8-T cells and a high proportion of activated T lymphocytes. This returned to normal after treatment. Treatment with TP led also to a reduction of adherence and chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear cells.

Comparison of labial and sublingual salivary gland biopsies in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome.

This study was designed to compare labial and sublingual salivary gland biopsies in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Fourteen labial and 29 sublingual specimens were considered positive. There was a better correlation between infiltration of the ductal structure and the focus score in the sublingual salivary gland biopsy than in the labial salivary gland biopsy. Use of sublingual salivary gland biopsy as an additional diagnostic tool in SS is therefore suggested.

Salivary lactoferrin in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Parotid salivary lactoferrin (LF) levels were measured in 26 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 19 patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) and 32 normal controls, by using a radial-immunodiffusion technique. The levels of LF were higher in SS than in KCS patients (23 +/- 21, 10 +/- 10, p less than 0.03) and in SS patients than in normals (7 +/- 6 micrograms/ml, p less than 0.001). There was some relationship of the LF level to the labial salivary gland histopathology grade.

Relations of the histopathology of sublingual and labial salivary glands to the clinical presentation in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

This study was designed to further analyse the histopathologic appearance of the sublingual and labial salivary gland biopsies performed in 50 patients suspected of having Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Three kinds of lesions were evaluated: occurrence of foci (an aggregate of more than 50 lymphocytes), lymphocytic infiltration of the duct walls, and the remaining abnormalities (such as scattered lymphocyte infiltrates, interstitial sclerosis, dilatation and regression of ducts and acini). The occurrence of foci correlates well with SS and even better when there is a lymphocytic infiltration of the ducts within the foci. The remaining changes were not specific for SS.

Monoclonal immunoglobulins in the serum of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Monoclonal immunoglobulins (M Igl) were detected in the serum of 10 of 20 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (prim. SS), by using high resolution electrophoretic technique combined with immunofixation. The finding of three free lambda chains and two IgG lambda suggests that the lambda-expressing B-clones are involved in this process, but the class distribution is different from one series to another, and from one country to another. The prim. SS patients with multiogran disease have the higher incidence of M Igl.

The importance of CD5-positive B cells in nonorgan-specific autoimmune diseases.

CD5, the human counterpart of Ly-1 molecules in the mouse, are detectable but weakly expressed on a minute fraction of circulating B cells. The number of CD5-expressing B cells is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or primary Sjögren's syndrome. These cells are similar to those leading to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (they may be induced to produce multispecific autoantibodies). Multispecific autoantibodies have also been described in the early B cell repertoire.