Iron Biogeochemistry in the High Latitude North Atlantic Ocean.

Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for marine microbial organisms, and low supply controls productivity in large parts of the world's ocean. The high latitude North Atlantic is seasonally Fe limited, but Fe distributions and source strengths are poorly constrained. Surface ocean dissolved Fe (DFe) concentrations were low in the study region (<0.

[Early detection of COPD in occupational medicine in the Alpes-Maritimes].

Introduction: This study evaluated a standardized procedure aiming at early detection of COPD in a consecutive population of employees visiting occupational medicine.

Methods: A total of 2818 employees were included by 22 occupational physicians in 5 centers. Respiratory symptoms, smoking status, occupational exposures and socioprofessional categories were collected.

[Renal vein infarction, a complication of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria].

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (Marchiafava-Micheli disease) is a rare acquired clonal disorder of the hematopoietic cell, to a somatic mutation in the phosphatidylinositol glycan (PIG-A). The most frequent clinical manifestations are hemolytic crisis and venous thrombosis of the mesenteric, hepatic, portal or cerebral territories. We report a case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria with renal vein thrombosis, a rare complication of this disease.

Association between occupational exposure and the clinical characteristics of COPD.

Background: The contribution of occupational exposures to COPD and their interaction with cigarette smoking on clinical pattern of COPD remain underappreciated. The aim of this study was to explore the contribution of occupational exposures on clinical pattern of COPD.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from a multicenter tertiary care cohort of 591 smokers or ex-smokers with COPD (median FEV1 49%) were analyzed.

[Disproportionate pulmonary arterial hypertension and lung respiratory diseases: distinctive clinical, hemodynamic and prognosis of patients versus primary pulmonary arterial hypertension].

Objectives: To characterize and compare patients with disproportionate PH versus patients with primary pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Methods: All patients referred to our cardiology unit for echocardiography from November 2006 to May 2008 and who have been followed by our pneumologist were screened for severe PH (i.e mean arterial pulmonary pressure>35-40 mmHg at rest).