Immunizations in adult patients with systemic sclerosis.

Immunizations are among the most efficient interventions available to prevent infectious diseases. However, there are no specific recommendations regarding vaccination in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this review is to propose guidelines concerning immunization for patients with SSc.

[Use of standardized parenteral solutions in French neonatal departments: results of a national survey].

Unlabelled: Standard parenteral nutrition solutions have been developed nationwide in France but little is known about their frequency of use and indications.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of the use of standardized parenteral nutrition solutions in neonatal units in France, to determine which solutions are currently available and used, and to determine whether the available parenteral nutrition solutions are satisfactory to the prescriber by evaluating the type and number of additions most frequently prescribed.

Method: National survey performed in France, using a questionnaire sent to 296 French neonatal departments.

Reduced 3-O-methyl-dopa levels in OCD patients and their unaffected parents is associated with the low activity M158 COMT allele.

The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is considered as a candidate gene in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Specifically, the COMT low-activity M158 allele has been suggested to be associated with OCD. However, there is no study reporting that COMT activity is decreased in OCD patients and that the decrease is mediated by the V158M polymorphism.

Might physicians be restricting access to liver transplantation for patients with alcoholic liver disease?

Background/aims: In France, the most common cause of cirrhosis is excessive alcohol consumption. Post-transplant survival rates in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are at least as good as those seen with other indications. However, fewer of these patients are found on the waiting list.

[Evaluation of analytical and diagnostic performances of the anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) automated assay on Elecsys analyzer].

Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) are highly characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since 2006, anti-CCP assays have been included in both French and European recommendations. We have evaluated the analytical and clinical performances of the anti-CCP assay on the Elecsys analyzer (Roche Diagnostics).

Knowledge, attitudes and vaccination coverage of healthcare workers regarding occupational vaccinations.

Objectives: Immunization of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a major issue for infection control in healthcare facilities. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge regarding occupational vaccinations, HBV, varicella and influenza vaccination rates and attitudes towards influenza vaccine among HCWs.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two wards (Medicine and Paediatrics) of a 1182-bed teaching hospital in Paris, France.

Evaluation of cefotaxime and desacetylcefotaxime concentrations in cord blood after intrapartum prophylaxis with cefotaxime.

Preterm premature rupture of the membranes is associated with a high risk of neonatal sepsis. An increase in the incidence of early-onset neonatal sepsis due to ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli in premature infants has been observed in the past few years. Intrapartum prophylaxis with ampicillin has proven to be efficient for the prevention of early neonatal sepsis due to group B streptococci.

Factors influencing influenza-vaccination in adults under immunosuppressive therapy for a systemic inflammatory disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate flu vaccination rates and influencing factors in patients with systemic inflammatory diseases.

Methods: All patients presenting with a systemic inflammatory disease and taking immunosuppressants, who were hospitalized or had consulted in our internal medicine department between January 2 and 31, 2006, were included in the study. The information concerning flu vaccination was collected with a standardized form.

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of the first reported case of inv dup del 20p compatible with a U-type exchange model.

Inverted duplications with terminal deletions have been reported for an increasing number of chromosome ends. The best characterized and most frequent rearrangement reported involves the short arm of chromosome 8. It derives from non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) between two inverted LCRs (low copy repeats) of the olfactory receptor (OR) gene cluster during maternal meiosis.

[Vaccination in patients with cirrhosis].

Patients with cirrhosis are immunocompromised and have an increased risk of infection, with a worse outcome. Some of those infections may be prevented by vaccination. Immunization can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with cirrhosis.

Population pharmacokinetics of levetiracetam and dosing recommendation in children with epilepsy.

Purpose: To develop a population pharmacokinetic model to evaluate the demographic and physiologic determinants of levetiracetam (LEV) pharmacokinetics (PK) and to suggest recommended doses of LEV in children.

Methods: LEV PK were investigated in a prospective open trial of LEV as adjunctive therapy using a population approach performed with NONMEM (Nonlinear Mixed Effects Model) on 170 LEV concentration-time records and covariate information from 44 children between 4 and 16 years of age. Possible associations between pharmacokinetic parameters and age, gender, body weight, creatinine clearance, and concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were assessed.

Vaccination in adults with auto-immune disease and/or drug related immune deficiency: results of the GEVACCIM Delphi survey.

Introduction: There are insufficient data regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccination in patients with auto-immune disease (AID) and/or drug-related immune deficiency (DRID). The objective of this study was to obtain professional agreement on vaccine practices in these patients.

Methods: A Delphi survey was carried out with physicians recognised for their expertise in vaccinology and/or the caring for adult patients with AID and/or DRID.

Safety and immunogenicity of SC599, an oral live attenuated Shigella dysenteriae type-1 vaccine in healthy volunteers: results of a Phase 2, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

SC599 vaccine is a live Shigella dysenteriae 1 strain attenuated by deletion of invasion [icsA], iron chelation [ent, fep] and shiga toxin A subunit [stxA] genes. In a preliminary Phase 1 single dose prospective study, we showed that SC599 vaccine was well tolerated, and the maximum tolerable dose was greater than 10(8) CFU [Sadorge C, Ndiaye A, Beveridge N, Frazer S, Giemza R, Jolly N, et al. Phase 1 clinical trial of live attenuated Shigella dysenteriae type-1 DeltaicsA Deltaent Deltafep DeltastxA:HgR oral vaccine SC599 in healthy human adult volunteers.

[Pneumococcal infections and vaccination in patients with systemic autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases].

Patients with systemic autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases have an increased risk of infections, particularly pneumoccocal invasive infections. Vaccination can prevent these infections. Available data about immunogenicity and safety of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in these patients indicate that, it remains well tolerated and most of the time immunogenic, even if the antibody response is lower compared to healthy controls.

Short communication: Long-term persistence of vaccine-induced HIV seropositivity among healthy volunteers.

Long-term persistence of HIV vaccine-induced seropositivity in uninfected HIV vaccine recipients remains unknown. The duration of HIV humoral-induced responses was assessed in 72 volunteers who had received rgp160 and/or HIV recombinant canarypox virus constructs able to induce immune responses detectable using standard serological tests. Among the 43 rgp160 recipients, 94% and 83% remained HIV seropositive after 5 and 8 years of follow-up, respectively, while all the 29 volunteers who had received canarypox constructs alone were seronegative after 5 years.

Careful cardiovascular screening and follow-up of women with Turner syndrome before and during pregnancy is necessary to prevent maternal mortality.

Objective: To report the fatal outcome of a woman with Turner syndrome (TS) undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Design: Case report.

Setting: Reproductive medicine center.

Simultaneous determination of three carbapenem antibiotics in plasma by HPLC with ultraviolet detection.

A simple, precise and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using ultraviolet (UV) detection has been developed for simultaneous determination of carbapenem antibiotics: imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem in human plasma. Samples were spiked with ceftazidime as internal standard and proteins were precipitated by acetonitrile. Separation was achieved on a C8 column with a mobile phase composed of phosphate buffer 0.

[Prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations].

Exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) aggravate disease course, induce increased morbidity and mortality, impair quality of life, and raise the direct costs of COPD. Their prevention is essential and is an integral part of the COPD program defined by French health authorities for the 2005-2010 period. Both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches have been shown to be effective in preventing exacerbations, but these treatments are still underused and misused.

[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations and their impact on the long-term natural history of the disease].

Exacerbations can occur at each stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their frequency and severity increase with disease progression. Today exacerbations are known to have severe immediate and delayed consequences. They aggravate symptoms (dyspnea, cough, and sputum), airflow, and FEV1 decline and impair quality of life--all durably, with prolonged recovery time.

Maternal biochemical serum screening for Down syndrome in pregnancy with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Objective: To estimate the influence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy on maternal serum markers levels and the false-positive rate with biochemical maternal serum screening for Down syndrome.

Methods: We performed a 1:1 matched case-control study comparing 132 HIV-infected women with single pregnancy to controls selected among non-HIV-infected women matched on geographical origin and fetal sex.

Results: Of HIV-infected women, 47.