Colorectal cancer in patients seen at the teaching hospitals of Guadeloupe and Martinique: discrepancies, similarities in clinicopathological features, and p53 status.

Background: In Guadeloupe and Martinique, two French Overseas Departments, colorectal cancer (CRC) has become an essential public health issue. However, little is known about CRC characteristics and the p53 status in these populations, particularly in Guadeloupe, whereas certification of a cancer registry has been recently validated.

Methods: This was a descriptive retrospective study of 201 patients who, between 1995 and 2000, underwent surgery for CRC in the Guadeloupe Teaching Hospital (GlpeTH; 83 patients) and in the Martinique Teaching Hospital (MqueTH; 118 patients).

The placental-umbilical unit in sickle cell disease pregnancy: a model for studying in vivo functional adjustments to hypoxia in humans.

The placental-umbilical unit in sickle cell disease (SCD) pregnancy was used to explore hypoxia in vivo, an important factor in the pathophysiology of this disease. Gross examination and microscopic analysis of the placentas, taken immediately after delivery, indicate good concordance between maturity and term as controls, but higher frequency of vascular injuries such as excess syncytial knots, excess fibrin deposits, congestion and villous necroses. Unexpectedly, neither leukocyte recruitment nor alteration in extraplacental membrane was observed, suggesting the absence of inflammation.