Experience with Vildagliptin in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Fasting During Ramadan in France: Insights from the VERDI Study.

Aim: To assess in real life the rate of hypoglycemia during Ramadan in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in France, according to their ongoing dual therapy of metformin-vildagliptin or metformin-sulfonylurea/glinide (IS).

Methods: Prospective, non-interventional study with 2 visits (within 8 weeks before and 6 weeks after the end of Ramadan 2012). Study diaries were not used to collect events or record values of glucose monitoring.

Co-infection of Borrelia afzelii and Bartonella spp. in bank voles from a suburban forest.

We report the molecular detection of Borrelia afzelii (11%) and Bartonella spp. (56%) in 447 bank voles trapped in a suburban forest in France. Adult voles were infected by significantly more Borrelia afzelii than juveniles (p<0.

Screening of unrecognized peripheral arterial disease (PAD) using ankle-brachial index in high cardiovascular risk patients free from symptomatic PAD.

Objective: To determine the utility of ankle-brachial index (ABI) in screening for unrecognized peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Although PAD is a consistent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, it is often under-diagnosed and under-treated.

Methods: In this prospective, observational, real-life, epidemiologic study (ELLIPSE) the prevalence of PAD (ABI < 0.

Inducible expression of beta defensins by human respiratory epithelial cells exposed to Aspergillus fumigatus organisms.

Background: Aspergillus fumigatus, a saprophytic mould, is responsible for life-threatening, invasive pulmonary diseases in immunocompromised hosts. The role of the airway epithelium involves a complex interaction with the inhaled pathogen. Antimicrobial peptides with direct antifungal and chemotactic activities may boost antifungal immune response.

Clinical, mycological and pathological findings in turkeys experimentally infected by Aspergillus fumigatus.

Experimental aspergillosis was induced in 1-day-old turkeys by intra-air-sac inoculation of a spore suspension of a 3-day-old Aspergillus fumigatus culture (CBS 144.89) containing 10(7) spores. Ten additional poults were used as controls.

Aspergillus fumigatus conidia inhibit tumour necrosis factor- or staurosporine-induced apoptosis in epithelial cells.

A major innate immune response to inhaled conidia of the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) is the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which include tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, a known inducer of apoptosis. Modulation of host cell apoptosis has been reported to be one of the mechanisms whereby pathogens overcome host cell defences. Our study was designed to investigate whether or not Af conidia could modulate apoptosis induced by TNF-alpha or staurosporine (STS).