[Anxiety in subjects with bronchial asthma]. / L'anxiete chez les sujets atteints d'asthme bronchique.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma, a frequent chronic respiratory disease, poses a public health problem due to its frequency, its impact on patients' lives and its significant direct and indirect costs. Despite all the published recommendations and the availability of increasingly effective therapies, many asthmatics remain poorly monitored, treated and controlled. This is due to several factors, including the association with comorbidities. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between anxiety, asthma and its control. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical aim spread over one year (July 2016-July 2017). Were included in the study all asthmatics whose age was higher than 16 years randomly recruited at the consultation of the pneumophthisiology service of the CHU of Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria). RESULTS: According to the ACT criteria on 300 asthma patients, only 6.3% were controlled, 51.3% had partial control and 42.3% were uncontrolled. The factors negatively influencing asthma control were female gender (p=0.01) and anxiety (p= 0.0004). Factors associated with anxiety were female gender (p=0.001) and heart disease (p=0.00004). CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted the relationship between asthma and anxiety, which has a negative impact on asthma control.

INTRODUCTION: L'asthme, pathologie respiratoire chronique fréquente, pose un problème de santé publique, par sa fréquence, son retentissement sur le vécu des patients ainsi que par son important coût direct et indirect. Malgré toutes les recommandations publiées et la disponibilité des thérapeutiques, de plus en plus performantes, beaucoup d'asthmatiques restent mal suivis, mal traités et mal contrôlés. Ceci est dû à plusieurs facteurs, dont l'association à certaines comorbidités. PATIENTS ET MÉTHODES: Le but de cette étude est de déterminer la relation entre l'anxiété, l'asthme et son contrôle. Étude transversale descriptive prospective à visée analytique étalée sur une année (juillet 2016-juillet 2017). Ont étés inclus dans l'étude tous les asthmatiques dont l'âge était supérieur à 16 ans recrutés de façon aléatoire à la consultation du service de pneumo-phtisiologie du CHU de Tizi Ouzou (Algérie). RÉSULTATS: Selon les critères de l'ACT sur 300 patients asthmatiques, seuls 6,3% étaient contrôlés, 51,3% avaient un contrôle partiel et 42,3% étaient non contrôlés. Les facteurs influençant négativement le contrôle de l'asthme retrouvé étaient le sexe féminin (p=0,01) et l'anxiété (p= 0.0004). Les facteurs associés à l'anxiété étaient le sexe féminin, (p = 0.001) et les cardiopathies (p = 0.00004). CONCLUSION: Notre étude a mis en évidence la relation entre asthme et anxiété qui a un impact négatif sur le contrôle de l'asthme.

[The plethysmographic reference equations established for adult natives of Eastern Algeria are not applicable to natives of Northern Algeria]. / Les équations de référence pléthysmographiques établies chez les adultes natifs de l'Est Algérien sont inapplicables pour ceux natifs du Nord Algérien.

INTRODUCTION: The validity of the published plethysmographic reference equations specific to adults living in Eastern Algeria (RE-EA) in the interpretation of spirometric results in adult natives of Northern Algeria has not been assessed. AIM: To test the application of the RE-EA (Constantine, mean altitude=694m) to a population of healthy adults living in Algiers (mean altitude=153m). METHODS: The plethysmographic parameters of 453 healthy adults living in Algiers (234 women; age: 45±15 years, height: 1.66±0.10m, weight: 73±14kg) were determined and were compared with those predicted from the RE-EA. In addition, the percentages of adults with an obstructive ventilatory defect (OVD), a restrictive ventilatory defect (RVD) and/or lung hyperinflation were noted. The RE-EA are considered inapplicable to healthy adults living in Algiers if, firstly, the differences between the determined and predicted plethysmographic parameters are statistically significant and, secondly, more than 5% of healthy adults have OVD and/or RVD and/or lung hyperinflation. RESULTS: The RE-EA significantly overestimated the following parameters: FEV1 by 0.27±0.39L, MMEF by 0.52±0.75L/s, FEF25% by 0.75±0.56L/s, FEF50% by 0.85±1.02L/s, FEF75% by 0.28±1.25L/s, VC by 0.21±0.50L, TLC by 0.31±0.62L, ERV by 0.06±0.48L, IC by 0.27±0.48L, FEV1/VC by 0.03±0.05, and FEV1/FVC by 0.03±0.05. They significantly underestimated the RV/TLC by 0.01±0.05. Moreover, 14.35 %, 8.83 % and 5.74 % of healthy adults had OVD, RVD and lung hyperinflation, respectively. CONCLUSION: The RE-EA are not applicable in adult natives of Northern Algeria.

[Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID): clinical and immunological features of 29 Algerian patients]. / Déficit immunitaire commun variable (DICV) : caractéristiques cliniques et immunologiques de 29 patients algériens.

PURPOSE: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the commonest symptomatic primary immunodeficiency. It is characterized by a defect of antibody production, recurrent respiratory tract infections and increased occurrence of auto-immune discords and lymphoproliferative disease. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on 29 patients fulfilling the classical CVID definition. Blood tests included immunoglobulin measurement and lymphocyte subpopulations phenotyping. RESULTS: This study includes 29 patients. The mean age at diagnosis was 23years. Recurrent upper and lower bacterial respiratory tract infections were common in almost all patients. Five patients developed auto-immune conditions and six had lymphoproliferative disease. Decreased IgG was found in almost all patients. Low IgA and IgM levels were found in 89.6 % and 65.5 % of cases respectively. Abnormal T and/or B phenotype was found in 75 % of cases; the most common abnormalities were decreased circulating B (54.2 %) and T CD4+ (41.7 %) cells and inversion of the CD4/CD8 ratio (70.8 %). Patients with decreased circulating B and T CD4+ cells were significantly more likely to have auto-immune cytopenias and lymphoproliferative disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms the heterogeneity of CVID. A patient's classification is necessary to define homogeneous groups of patients and to characterize specific molecular abnormalities in each group.

Constitutive nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms and house dust mite respiratory allergy in an Algerian patient group.

Genetic polymorphisms in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1) and calmodulin-dependent endothelial NOS (NOS3) genes are known to influence the course of allergic respiratory disorders. We investigated the role of NOS1 -84 G-->A and NOS3 -786 T-->C, 894 G-->T and 27 base pair (bp) repeat polymorphisms in 125 patients suffering from asthma and/or rhinitis and monosensitized against Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpter) and 111 controls from Algeria. We found a higher frequency of the -786 C NOS3 allele in patients than in controls [corrected P value (Pc) = 0.04], especially in female cases (Pc = 0.02) and that the 'ab' genotype of the 27-bp polymorphism was significantly associated with specific immunoglobulin E production against Dpter (P = 0.006). This study brings further support for the participation of NOS3 gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of respiratory allergic disorders.