[Screening of infectious microorganisms in blood banks in Douala (1995-2004)].

The infection of people with haemophilia by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through blood transfusions demonstrated the potential risks of infectious disease transmission by transfusions. The microorganisms that can be transmitted through transfusion include: hepatitis viruses B, C, D, and G, HIV, cytomegalovirus, human T lymphotrophic virus (HTLV I and II), Treponema pallidum, Brucella spp, Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp and trypanosoma cruzi. We estimated the prevalence of transfusion-transmissible HIV, hepatitis B and C viruses, syphilis, and Plasmodium falciparum infection in two groups of blood donors at Douala city over the period of 1995 -2004.

Incidence of cervical disease associated to HPV in human immunodeficiency infected women under highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer than non infected women. In a pilot study, we assessed the relationships among cervical cytology abnormalities associated to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HIV infection and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the development of Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (SILs). Out of the 70 HIV infected women from Douala -Cameroon (Central Africa) that we included in the study, half (35) were under HAART.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors from Millettia conraui.

A new geranylated isoflavone, 7-O-geranyl-6-methoxypseudobaptigenin (1) was isolated from the stem barks of Millettia conraui, along with known compounds 5-methoxydurmillone (2), conrauinone A (3), beta-amyrine (4), sitosterol (5), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl sitosterol (6) and n-docosanol (7). Compounds 1 and 4 showed a significant alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The structures of the compounds were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data.

Three 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranosides from the seeds of Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr.

Three new 1-thioglycosides namely methylthiomethyl 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside (Afrostyraxthioside A), methylsulfonylmethyl 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside (Afrostyraxthioside B) and methylsulfonylmethylthiomethyl 1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside (Afrostyraxthioside C) were isolated from the seeds of Afrostyrax lepidophyllus Mildbr. Their structures were mainly elucidated by using one- and two-dimensional NMR and mass spectroscopies and also by an efficient one-step synthesis. Moreover, Afrostyraxthiosides A, B and C constitute a new subclass of 1-thioglycosides isolated from natural sources.