Anti-C1q antibodies and systemic lupus erythematosus in the Tunisian population.

OBJECTIVES: The presence of a wide variety of autoantibodies is a characteristic feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although non-specific, anti-complement C1q (anti-C1q) were shown to correlate with the occurrence of active nephritis. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anti-C1q in Tunisian SLE patients and their association with clinical manifestations, especially renal involvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IgG anti-C1q antibodies were assessed by Elisa in 98 SLE patients, 55 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 65 healthy individuals (HI). RESULTS: Anti-C1q were found in 53 (54.1%) patients with SLE, three (5%) patients with RA and six (9.3%) HI. Among the 65 patients with renal involvement, anti-C1q were present in 35 (53.8%) patients. There was no significant association between anti-C1q and renal or extrarenal manifestations. In addition, there was no correlation between anti-C1q titer and SLEDAI index. Anti-C1q were significantly associated with anti-nucleosome (P=0.001), anti-Sm (P=0.01) and a low C4 level (P=0.046). Concomitant presence of anti-C1q and anti-dsDNA antibodies was not associated with renal manifestations. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that prevalence of anti-C1q was comparable with that previously reported in Caucasian populations. These antibodies were associated with a low C4 level. However, there was no association between anti-C1q and renal involvement or severity of nephritis.

The dihydrouracil/uracil ratio in plasma, clinical and genetic analysis for screening of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency in colorectal cancer patients treated with 5-fluorouracil.

A rapid and cost-effective reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for quantification of dihydrouracil to uracil ratio (UH2/U) in plasma has been developed and used to screen for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency in nine patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). This HPLC method is based on the use of a simultaneous UV detection at 205 and 268nm during the analysis run of the plasma extract and taking into account the particularity that UH2 shows no absorbance response at 268nm. The plasma UH2/U ratio values evaluated by the use of our HPLC assay were found to be highly correlated with the plasma 5-FU-half-life values and were significantly associated with the toxic side effects, whereas, data set provided from genetic analysis of the coding sequences of the DPD gene (DPYD) were found to be insufficient to explain all the cases of the 5-FU-related toxicity pattern. The proposed HPLC assay could be available for routine clinical use for DPD deficiency assessment in patients prior to 5-FU administration.

Traitement medical du mal de Pott: a propos des 18 cas

Introduction: la tuberculose vertebrale est de loin la localisation osteo-articulaire la plus frequente ; son traitement est de moins en moins chirurgical; la duree et les modalites du traitement medical restent cependant sujettes a discussion.Le but de ce travail est de proposer une attitude therapeutique standardisee pour le mal de Pott. Patients et methodes : Les acteurs rapportent une etude retrospective de 18 cas de mal de pott. Resultats : L'age moyen etait de 51 ans .Tous les malades ont beneficie d'un traitement medical ; aucune indication chirurgical n'a ete portee.l'imagerie par resonance magnetique et la biopsie sous scanner ont permis d'eviter les abords churirgicaux a visee diagnostic.La chimiotherapie consistait en une phase d'attaque comprenant quatre antituberculeux d'une duree moyenne de 5 mois ; suivi d'une phase d'entretien associant uniquement deux antituberculeux majeurs en prise quotidienne et d'une duree moyenne de 11 mois .Huit patients ont eu une immobilisation rachidienne. Apres un recul moyen de 36 mois l'evolution clinique et anatomique etait favorable pour tous les maladies. Aucune aggravation des troubles neurologiques n'a ete notee. Conclusion: traitement medical antituberculeux bien conduit est toujours efficace surtout si le diagnostic est assez precoce et permet ainsi d'eviter le recours a la chirurgie assez laborieuse et dont les resultats ne sont pas encourangeants

[Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma presenting as cervical lymph node metastasis. Interest of tetrofosmin scintigraphy and lymph node thyroglobulin measurement]. / Microcarcinome papillaire de la thyroide révélé par des métastases ganglionnaires cervicales. Intérêt de la scintigraphie à la tétrofosmine et le dosage de la thyroglobuline ganglionnaire.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Thyroid microcarcinoma presenting as cervical lymph node metastasis is common and it is associated in most cases with the papillary variety. Diagnosis of lymph node metastases from a thyroid microcarcinoma is not always easy, because a thyroid nodule may not be palpable. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this work, the authors report two cases of papillary microcarcinoma presenting as cervical lymph adenopathy. RESULTS: The diagnosis was made preoperatively by Tetrofosmin scintigraphy and thyroglobulin measurement in the lymph node. CONCLUSION: Tetrofosmine scintigraphy is a performing exam but with a poor specificity. Lymph node thyroglobulin is a simple exam which is very sensitive and specific.

[Isolated dislocation of the carpal scaphoid. A case report with review of the literature]. / Luxation isolée du scaphoïde carpien. A propos d'un cas avec revue de la littérature.

Isolated dislocation of the carpal scaphoid is an extremely rare injury, which is usually accompanied by significant ligamento-capsular lesions. A review of the literature found only 21 reported cases. The aim of this report is to present a single case of isolated radio-palmar dislocation of the scaphoid treated conservatively, which provided a good functional result at 10 years follow up.

[Role of scintigraphic tests in upper urinary tract dilatation in children]. / Place des explorations scintigraphiques dans les dilatations de la voie excrétrice supérieure chez l'enfant.

The diuresis renography has an important place in the management of upper urinary tract dilatation in children. This non-aggressive and low irradiant exploration is very helpful to determine if hydronephrosis is obstructive or not and to evaluate the renal function impairment. The protocol of exam must be particularly rigorous and interpretation should take into account physiopathological factors that influence provocated diuresis. A well patient hydration and if necessary a bladder catheter are required. The MAG-3 is the radiopharmaceutical of choice especially in newborn and infants. The furosemide administration at 20 minutes after radiotracer injection is the most commonly used protocol and is generally sufficient to classify the urinary dilatation. Equivocal cases and symptomatic forms can benefit from a modified protocol in which furosemide is administered 15 minutes before radiotracer injection (F-15). False positive tests may result from a marked dilatation or renal function reduction. The place of diuresis renography in management of neonatal hydronephrosis is controversial, particularly because of the dynamic and evolving nature of this pathology.

[Bone scan and prostate cancer]. / Scintigraphie osseuse et cancer de la prostate.

Prostatic cancer has a great predilection for bone. The evaluation of its extension towards the skeleton is based on the bone scan, which has a better sensitivity than radiological examinations and clinical evaluation. Bone scan evaluation of the osseous extension, allowed a better comprehension of the mechanism of dissemination, the assumption of Batson appearing currently not very plausible. The importance of the osseous extension on the bone scan has a prognostic value; it constitutes one of the significant parameters of stratification in clinical trials. The indications of bone scan have been greatly modified since the introduction of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). At the initial assessment, the of bone scan should be indicated only if the rate of PSA exceeds 10-20 ng/mL, in the event of low grade tumor and pain. In the follow-up, the evolution of the PSA constitutes the major element of monitoring. After radical therapy, a rise in the PSA indicates bone scan, particularly if the level exceeds 10 ng/mL. In stage D2, routine bone scan is no longer indicated, except in phases II and III of the clinical trials.

[Primary chemotherapy with the Rosen T10 protocol before conservative surgery in limb primitive osteosarcomas: results about 56 cases]. / Chimiothérapie première par le protocole T10 de Rosen avant chirurgie conservatrice dans les ostéosarcomes primitifs des mebres: résultats à propos de 56 cas.

We report the results of a prospective Tunisian study using primary chemotherapy followed by conservative surgery in primitive limb osteosarcoma. From January 1988 to January 1998, 56 patients affected by limb osteosarcoma entered in a prospective study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with the T10 protocol before surgery with a conservative intent. Initial work-up include: clinical exam with tumor measurements, chest and limb X-rays, limb CT-scan or MRI, chest CT-scan, bone scintigraphy and hematological and renal biological exams. Patients receive pre- and post-operative chemotherapy according to the T10 modified protocol. Fifty-six patients (33 M/23 F) with a mean age of 19 years (8 to 28) are included. Mean clinical and radiological tumor size is around 14 cm. Main histologic type is classic osteosarcoma (50% of cases) and 10 patients (9%) presented with initial metastasis; 42 patients on 56 receive the whole pre-operative protocol. Treatment is well tolerated excluding 18 episodes of mucositis, 29 of leucopenia (< grade 3), 7 of thrombopenia (< grade 3), 4 of cutaneous toxicity, 2 of pulmonary toxicity and 3 of nausea-vomiting. We observe 36% of good histological responders and 64% of bad responders to primary chemotherapy, 27 patients on 49 operated (53%) have a conservative surgery and 18 (47%) a radical surgery. With a median follow-up of 51 months (8 to 128), 29 patients remain alive free of disease (15/17 GR and 14/30 BR), 2 are alive with disease, 2 died by toxicity, 14 died by progressive disease and 9 are lost to follow-up with evolutive disease. Five year disease-free survival is 55% for the 46 non metastatic patients. In univariate analysis, seric alkaline phosphatase level (p = 0.0014) and histological response to chemotherapy (p = 0.0218) are significant factors for prognosis.

[Septic arthritis of posterior lumbar facet joint]. / Arthrite septique interapophysaire postérieure lombaire.

Septic arthritis of the posterior lumbar joints is extremely rare. The clinical picture of this unusual site of infection can easily lead to confusion with spondylodiscitis which is more common. We report a case of a 50-year-old woman with Staphylococcus aureus septic arthritis of the left L5-S1 lumbar facet joint. CT scan was helpful to establish the diagnosis and to guide the percutaneous needle biopsy.

[The "blue rubber bleb nevus" (Bean's syndrome): uncommon cause of gastrointestinal bleeding]. / Le syndrome de "blue rubber bleb naevus" (syndrome de Bean): cause inhabituelle de saignement digestif.

A ten year old boy had six cutaneous angiomas and recurrent rectal bleeding responsible for iron deficiency anemia. Histological examination established the diagnosis of blue rubber bleb naevus syndrome. Endoscopy, arteriography, computed tomography, and angioscintigraphy disclosed additional angiomas in the stomach and rectum and along the blood vessels in the lower limbs. The value of angioscintigraphy for identifying angiomas escaping detection by other means was illustrated in this case. Embolization of the inferior mesenteric artery was successful in preventing further rectal bleeding. Treatment of this disorder remains controversial.

[Long-term results of the treatment of fractures of the patella]. / Résultats lointains du traitement des fractures de la rotule.

A series of 400 patellar fractures has been reviewed with a follow-up of three to 12 years. The continuity of the extensor apparatus had been interrupted in 73 per cent of cases and in 21 per cent the fracture was compound. The best results were obtained by conservative treatment with plaster, patellar suture or partial patellectomy. Total patellectomy, in contrast, only gave satisfactory results in one case out of two.