Prospective 25-year surveillance of prion diseases in France, 1992 to 2016: a slow waning of epidemics and an increase in observed sporadic forms.

BackgroundPrion diseases are rare, fatal disorders that have repeatedly raised public health concerns since the early 1990s. An active prion disease surveillance network providing national level data was implemented in France in 1992.AimWe aimed to describe the epidemiology of sporadic, genetic and infectious forms of prion diseases in France since surveillance implementation.

Validation of the Medical Research Council prion disease rating scale in France.

The development of assessment tools other than survival time is necessary to conduct therapeutic trials in prion diseases (also known as subacute transmissible encephalopathies). The Medical Research Council Prion Disease Rating Scale published by Thompson . (The Medical Research Council prion disease rating scale: A new outcome measure for prion disease therapeutic trials developed and validated using systematic observational studies.

The role of environmental factors on sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mortality: evidence from an age-period-cohort analysis.

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is the most common form of prion diseases. The causes of sCJD are still unknown and exogenous factors may play a role. Worldwide, the number of patients with sCJD has progressively increased over time.

Validation of Revised International Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Network Diagnostic Criteria for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Importance: Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rapidly lethal disease. Rapid, accurate diagnosis is imperative for epidemiological surveillance and public health activities to exclude treatable differentials and facilitate supportive care. In 2017, the International CJD Surveillance Network diagnostic criteria were revised to incorporate cortical ribboning on magnetic resonance imaging and the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, developments that require multicenter evaluation.

Amplification techniques and diagnosis of prion diseases.

Protein misfolding cyclic amplification assay (PMCA) and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) are two amplification techniques based on the ability of PrPsc to induce a conformational change in PrP allowing the detection of minute amounts of PrPsc in body fluids or tissues. PMCA and RT-QuIC have different ability to amplify PrPsc from sporadic, variant and genetic forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). PMCA readily amplifies PrPsc from variant CJD (vCJD) tissue while RT-QuIC easily amplifies PrPsc from sporadic CJD (sCJD) patient tissues.

Global Disease Burden Estimates of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Acute Respiratory Infection in Older Adults in 2015: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Respiratory syncytial virus-associated acute respiratory infection (RSV-ARI) constitutes a substantial disease burden in older adults aged ≥65 years. We aimed to identify all studies worldwide investigating the disease burden of RSV-ARI in this population. We estimated the community incidence, hospitalization rate, and in-hospital case-fatality ratio (hCFR) of RSV-ARI in older adults, stratified by industrialized and developing regions, using data from a systematic review of studies published between January 1996 and April 2018 and 8 unpublished population-based studies.

Global and Regional Burden of Hospital Admissions for Pneumonia in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Pneumonia constitutes a substantial disease burden among adults overall and those who are elderly. We aimed to identify all studies investigating the disease burden among older adults (age, ≥65 years) admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. We estimated the hospital admission rate and in-hospital case-fatality ratio (CFR) of pneumonia in older adults, stratified by age and economic status (industrialized vs developing), with data from a systematic review of studies published from 1996 through 2017 and from 8 unpublished population-based studies.

Sexual Disorders of Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC) Treated With Antiangiogenic Therapies.

Background: Targeted therapies, in particular antiangiogenic therapies (AATs), have become the standard of treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Although common adverse effects like fatigue have been well-established, sexual disorders induced by these treatments, although often reported, have been poorly evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of AATs on the sexual life of patients with mRCC and the relationships with quality of life (QoL), fatigue, and biologic parameters.

Management of endometriosis: CNGOF/HAS clinical practice guidelines - Short version.

First-line diagnostic investigations for endometriosis are physical examination and pelvic ultrasound. The second-line investigations are: targeted pelvic examination performed by an expert clinician, transvaginal ultrasound performed by an expert physician sonographer (radiologist or gynaecologist), and pelvic MRI. Management of endometriosis is recommended when the disease has a functional impact.

Feelings and expectations in endometriosis: Analysis of open comments from a cohort of endometriosis patients.

Introduction: Endometriosis symptoms may have a negative effect on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Analyses of open comments are known to be a key source of information and support. The authors aimed to analyse open comments associated with a validation scale study, in order to ascertain whether the questionnaires allowed an adequate exploration of patient preoccupations and in so doing define important quality of life themes not assessed in HRQoL scales.

[Management of endometriosis: CNGOF-HAS practice guidelines (short version)].

First-line investigations to diagnose endometriosis are clinical examination and pelvic ultrasound. Second-line investigations include pelvic examination performed by a referent clinician, transvaginal ultrasound performed by a referent echographist, and pelvic MRI. It is recommended to treat endometriosis when it is symptomatic.

[Epidemiology and diagnosis strategy: CNGOF-HAS Endometriosis Guidelines].

Based on the best evidence available, we have provided guidelines for clinical practice to target the nature of endometriosis as a disease, the consequences of its natural history on management, and the clinical and imaging evaluation of the disease according to the level of care (primary care, specialized or referral). The frequency of endometriosis is unknown in the general population; endometriosis requires management when it causes symptoms (pain, infertility) or when it affect the function of an organ. In the absence of symptom, there is no need for follow-up or screening of the disease.

[Expectations of women with endometriosis: What information to deliver? CNGOF-HAS Endometriosis Guidelines].

Women with endometriosis often say that the information doctors give them should be improved. Patient support groups can provide missing information but may lack objectivity, or reliability, and may even generate anxiety or even harm their health. Clear unbiased medical information is the ideal.

Biomarkers Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Treated Cancer Patients: Potential Predisposition and Risk Factors.

Cognitive impairment in cancer patients induced, at least in part, by treatment are frequently observed and likely have negative impacts on patient quality of life. Such cognitive dysfunctions can affect attention, executive functions, and memory and processing speed, can persist after treatment, and their exact causes remain unclear. The aim of this review was to create an inventory and analysis of clinical studies evaluating biological markers and risk factors for cognitive decline in cancer patients before, during, or after therapy.

The non-crosslinking fixative RCL2®-CS100 is compatible with both pathology diagnosis and molecular analyses.

Formalin is the key agent for tissue fixation and pathological diagnosis. However, it poorly preserves nucleic acids and this can impair molecular studies. An alternative to formalin would be a fixative which can allow both morphologic and molecular analyses.

An alternative fixative to formalin fixation for molecular applications: the RCL2(®)-CS100 approach.

Molecular analysis of tissue lesions is increasingly used in laboratories to identify new prognostic and therapeutic markers. Formalin has long been the tissue fixative of choice in the laboratories of pathology, as it preserves tissue morphology allowing accurate histological diagnosis. However, formalin is highly toxic and alters nucleic acids and protein integrity, so that new fixatives are critically needed that would allow both morphological and molecular analysis on the same tissue specimen.

Targeting the p38 MAPK pathway inhibits irinotecan resistance in colon adenocarcinoma.

Despite recent advances in the treatment of colon cancer, tumor resistance is a frequent cause of chemotherapy failure. To better elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in resistance to irinotecan (and its active metabolite SN38), we established SN38-resistant clones derived from HCT-116 and SW48 cell lines. These clones show various levels (6- to 60-fold) of resistance to SN-38 and display enhanced levels of activated MAPK p38 as compared with the corresponding parental cells.

[Technical considerations for KRAS testing in colorectal cancer. The pathologist's point of view].

The KRAS status is now a mandatory prerequisite in order to treat metastatic colorectal patients with anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) antibodies, such as cetuximab (Erbitux) or panitumumab (Vectibix). KRAS mutations are unambiguously linked to a lack of response to these targeted therapies and to a poor outcome. The optimal determination of the KRAS status should be based on coordination between pathologists and biologists.

[The design of new protocols/what place for the pathology departments?].

The pathologist's role in 2008 includes diagnosic, prognostic and predictive implications. Histopathologic criteria are still essential to manage the disease of cancer patients. They need to be based on standardized pathology reports and can use ancillary techniques such as immunohistochemistry and molecular biology.

Identification of signalling proteins interacting with B-Raf in the yeast two-hybrid system.

Recent studies suggested the existence of Ras/B-Raf/ MEK-1 complexes and a critical role for B-Raf in regulating the MAP kinase/ERKs signalling pathway. We report, here, that both Ras and MEK-1 proteins interact physically with B-Raf proteins in the yeast two-hybrid system. In addition, by screening a mouse brain cDNA library, we isolated additional B-Raf interacting proteins.