Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: Risk factors, outcome and links with S. boulardii-containing probiotic administration.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungemia: risk factors, outcome and links with S. boulardii-containing probiotic administration. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to review cases of S. cerevisiae fungemia along with the corresponding risk factors (including S. boulardii probiotic intake), treatment and outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study (2005-2017) of S. cerevisiae fungemia. All the data were extracted from medical files. RESULTS: We identified 10 patients with S. cerevisiae fungemia. Mean age was 59.4 years (range 21-88). Four fifths (80%) were on total parenteral or enteral nutrition, 70% had a central venous line, and 30% were admitted in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). S. boulardii-containing probiotic prescription was identified in 6 subjects. Three patients with no risk factors such as ICU or central venous catheter were 80 years old or more. Mortality rate was 50%. CONCLUSION: S. cerevisiae fungemia is a rare but life-threatening infection, associated with intake of probiotics containing S. boulardii. Besides classical risk factors, older age should be a contraindication for these probiotics.

[Prevalence and control of asthma in young children in France]. / Prévalence et contrôle de l'asthme chez le jeune enfant en France.

INTRODUCTION: Few data on regional variations in asthma prevalence are available in France. METHODS: The study was carried out during the academic year 2005-2006 in a random sample of around 20,000 children in the last year of nursery school. The lifetime prevalence of asthma and the preceding year prevalences of asthma-like symptoms and treatment for wheezing or asthma attacks were estimated by region. RESULTS: Overall, the lifetime prevalence of asthma was 9.8 % and the past-year prevalence of wheezing was 10.7 %. An increasing trend in prevalence was observed from Eastern to Western France and in overseas territories. The regional variations in past-year prevalence of wheezing remained when adjusting for gender, family structure and the number of siblings. Among children who had wheezed or received a treatment in the past year, 42 % had experienced frequent or severe symptoms. CONCLUSION: Large regional variations in asthma prevalence among young children in France exist.

[Prevalence of asthma among children in France]. / Prévalence de l'asthme chez l'enfant en France.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of asthma among children in France. METHODS: Data from 3 French national studies were analyzed: the Decennial Health Interview Survey conducted in 2003 among a representative sample of households and 2 surveys conducted among representative samples of schoolchildren from 9(th) grade in 2003-2004 and 5(th) grade in 2004-2005. In the Decennial Health Interview Survey, data on respiratory health were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that was filled in by 1675 children aged 11-14 years living in selected households. For the studies among schoolchildren, 7104 children from 5(th) grade and 7284 from 9(th) grade were interviewed by the school nurse or physician using a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: The cumulative prevalence of asthma varied from 12.3 to 13.4% depending on the survey and the prevalence of current wheeze (wheezing in the past year) varied from 8.3 to 10.1%. The prevalence of current asthma (current wheeze in a child having already had an asthma attack or treatment for wheezing or asthma in the past year) was nearly 9% in 5(th)-grade and 9(th)-grade schoolchildren. Asthma was not controlled (at least 4 attacks, 1 awakening per week, 1 severe attack, 4 unplanned medical visits, or 1 hospitalization in the past year) in 38.5% of the 598 asthmatic teenagers from 9(th) grade, and 29.2% did not declare any anti-inflammatory drug treatment in the past week in spite of the absence of asthma control. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of current asthma among children in France is estimated at 9%. Asthma control and treatment remain insufficient. Improving therapeutic and educational management of asthma among children and teenagers is necessary.

Effect of pituitary somatotropin injections on plasma insulin-like growth factor I and somatotropin profiles in growing heifers.

Effects of daily injections of pituitary-derived bovine somatotropin (bST) for 6 wk were evaluated in 10 growing heifers and compared to 9 placebo-treated control animals. Bovine somatotropin was injected at 50 micrograms/kg BW each day. Body weight and growth, plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and somatotropin (ST) were assessed. To measure plasma concentrations of IGF-I, we validated a RIA in which bovine plasma samples were extracted with acid-ethanol, a method that resulted in greater than 90% recovery of IGF-I. Average daily gain was similar during the first 4 wk of the experiment in both control and bST-treated groups; however, at the end of the experimental period (wk 4 and 6) ADG was greater (P less than .05) in bST-treated heifers (1.24 +/- .21 kg/d vs .75 +/- .25 kg/d). Plasma IGF-I from wk 2 to wk 6 were increased in bST-treated animals (452 +/- 97 ng/ml at wk 2; 683 +/- 106 ng/ml at wk 6) compared with controls (293 +/- 62 ng/ml at wk 2 (P less than .01) and 293 +/- 115 ng/ml at wk 6 (P less than .001). Moreover, ADG over the 6-wk experimental period was correlated with mean IGF-I concentrations determined over the same period (r = .55; P less than .01). As expected, mean plasma ST concentrations were increased in bST-injected animals from wk 1 to 6. Gel chromatographic profiles of bovine plasma exhibit a 150,000 molecular weight ST-dependent binding protein-IGF-I complex and a 30,000 molecular weight non-ST-dependent complex. This study validates a method for measuring IGF-I in cattle, and shows a positive relationship among IGF-I and ADG after ST treatment. No correlation, however, was found between plasma ST and growth performance.

[Effect of growth hormone on meat production in heifers]. / Influence de l'hormone de croissance sur la production de viande chez les génisses.

Short-term treatment of bovines with growth hormone (GH) has shown that GH increases nitrogen balance. In the present experiment we studied the effects of exogenous GH on weight gain, feed efficiency, carcass grade and meat quality. Twenty heifers of the Belgian White Blue breed were used. After an 8-week pre-experimental period, during which we recorded individual growth rates, the animals were allotted to two groups for 18 weeks; one group (T) received daily 50 micrograms of pituitary GH per kg of liveweight, whereas the other group (C) was given a placebo. Long-term treatment with GH induced weight gain (C: 117.1 +/- 25.5 kg; T: 144.6 +/- 23.7 kg; 23.5% increase, P less than 0.05) and increased feed efficiency (C: 10.34 +/- 2.04 kg DM/kg weight gain; T: 8.24 +/- 1.03 kg DM/kg weight gain). Digestibility of diet dry matter was identical in both groups (C: 60.1 +/- 2.7%; T: 59.8 +/- 2.4%). There were no difference in the classification of group C and T carcasses according to the EUROP pattern and after monocostal segment dissection (7th rib). Furthermore, the meat analysis of the two groups was identical with respect to protein, fat and collagen content. This was also true for tenderness, pH and juice loss after cooking. We concluded that stimulation of bovine weight gain by GH was significant and efficient while meat quality and carcass grade were not improved.