Computer-Assisted Classification Patterns in Autoimmune Diagnostics: The AIDA Project.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are significant biomarkers in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases in humans, done by mean of Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF) method, and performed by analyzing patterns and fluorescence intensity. This paper introduces the AIDA Project (autoimmunity: diagnosis assisted by computer) developed in the framework of an Italy-Tunisia cross-border cooperation and its preliminary results. A database of interpreted IIF images is being collected through the exchange of images and double reporting and a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported images, has been settled.

[Hepatitis C in kidney transplantation: comparative study between two Maghrebin centers: Casablanca and Tunis].

Background: Hepatitis viral C (HVC) is relatively frequent among kidney transplants. It is responsible for a morbid-mortality that compromises the results of transplantation in the medium and long term.

Aim: To evaluate and to compare the prevalence of HVC, 172 kidney transplant adult patients were investigated in two Maghrebian centers at Casablanca (G1): 57 Moroccan patients and Tunisia (G2):.

[IL1/IL1 Ra, CTLA-4 and Apo1/Fas genes polymorphisms and susceptibility to IgA nephropathy in Tunisian patients].

Background: The IgA nephropathy (IgA-N) is considered the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis and its pathogenic mechanisms are very complex. The study of several genes which encode for immunoregulator molecules in inflammatory and immunological responses during the disease, allowed to describe some number of polymorphisms would be involved in the molecular expression, the road marking, the synthesis and\or the binding to the receptors. So an abnormality of the molecular function associated with its polymorphism would be suggested in the genetic predisposition to the disease.

[Association Budd Chiari syndrome, antiphospholipid syndrome and Grave's disease].

Background: Antiphospholipid syndrome is revealed by Budd Chiari syndrome in 5% of the cases. Antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by venous or arterial thrombosis, foetal loss and positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies, namely lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-beta2-glycoprotein I. Anticardiolipin antibodies was reported in auto-immune thyroid disorders, particularly in Grave's disease.

[Auto-immune serological disorders in chronic viral C hepatitis: prevalence and clinical significance].

Background: Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection has been shown to lead to auto-immune phenomena.

Aims: We review the prevalence of serological auto-immune disorders associated to HCV infection and to clarify their clinical significance.

Methods: Literature review.

Distribution of HLA-B*27 subtypes in Tunisians and their association with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: The human leukocyte antigen HLA-B27 is a class I antigen of the major histocompatibility complex strongly associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and other related spondyloarthropathies (SpAs). The mechanism of this association remains unknown. HLA-B27 is a serologic specificity that represents a family of at least 25 different HLA-B27 alleles (2701-2725).